1 82 GentianacecB. [Exacum. 



beneath ; infl. as in E. zeylanicuvi ; cal.-segm. lanceolate-linear, 

 acuminate, with membranous margins, wing rounded at base; 

 cor. i|-2 in. diam., lobes 5, oval-lanceolate, slightly narrowed 

 at base, acuminate, acute; anth. \-^ in., tapering to end ; cap- 

 sule I in., ovoid, beaked. 



Upper montane zone, in moist places on the patanas, 5ooo-70ooft., 

 rather rare. About N. Eliya frequent. Fl. Sept., April, June ; deep 

 purplish-blue, with a pale-yellow eye. 



Endemic. 



This is certainly very closely allied to E. zeylantcjim, and is perhaps, 

 as regarded by Clarke, merely a variety of it. The intense lustrous glow- 

 ing purple-blue of the flowers is very striking; and the Bot. Mag. figure 

 of cultivated specimens gives but a poor idea of this magnificent flower in 

 its native home. A remarkable variety was gathered (by Miss Baker) in 

 1882 with pure white flowers, having the corolla-segments jagged at the 

 margins. 



E. ovale Griseb. in DC. Prod. ix. 46 (Walker at 6000 ft.) is a doubtful 

 name. Thwaites refers it to the present species ; Clarke thinks it was, 

 doubtless, E. IValkeri, 



5. E. pedunculatum, L. Sp. PL 112 (1753). 



Herm. Mus. 57. Burm. Thes. 146. Fl. Zeyl. n. 473. Moon Cat. 10. 

 Thw. Enum. 203. Arn. in Ann. Nat. Hist. iii. 8g. C. P. 1876. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 97. Wight, Ic. t. 336 {E. pedimculare). Burm. Thes. 

 t. 63, f. 2. 



Stem 6-12 in., much branched above, slender, quadrangular; 

 1. on very short petioles, i|-2 in., oval, tapering to both ends, 

 acute, 3- (or 5-) nerved; fl. on long rigid ped., rather small; 

 cal.-segm. ovate, very acute, wings wide, cordate or subcordate 

 at base, strongly veined ; cor. | in. diam., lobes 4, lanceolate, 

 acute; anth. 4, y^ in., not tapering; capsule globose. 



Var. /3, petiolare, Griseb. itt DC. Prod. ix. 46 (sp.). E. carinatum, 

 Roxb. Fl. Ind. ed. Carey & Wall. i. 415 (.''). Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 xiv. 427. Trim, in Journ. Bot. xxvii. 164. Wight, Ic. t. 1324, f. 2. 



L. distinctly petioled, broader, 5-nerved. 



Dry and intermediate region ; rather common. Jaffna ; Trincomalie ; 

 Batticaloa; Polonarua ; Bintenne; Nalande; Bibile. Var. ;8, Kannia 

 near Irincomalie (Ferguson). Fl. Jan. -March ; pale violet-blue or white, 

 with a yellowish centre. 



Also in I'cninsular India. 



There are no specimens in Hermann's Herb. Petiver erroneously 

 gives the .Sinhalese name ' Giritilla' for this, and is followed by Burman. 

 The original description (by Plukenet) gives yellow for the flower, but 

 was probably taken from a dried specimen. But it is curious that 

 Roxl)urgh both describes and figures his E. cartnatum (from Ceylon) as 

 having yellow flowers (which are not known 10 occur in any of our 

 species). 



I cannot find any means of distinguishing E. pctiolarc as a species, 

 thouiili it is maintained in Fl. B. Ind. 



