1 86 Gentianacecs. \Gentiancu 



oblong-oval to oblong-linear, sessile, tapering to base, obtuse, 

 rather thick, 3-nerved, the lat. nerves marginal and faint, pale 

 glaucous green; fl. numerous, crowded; cal. glabrous, segm. 

 lanceolate, subacute ; cor. much longer than cal., tube wide, 

 lobes much shorter than tube, oval, acute ; stam. included ; 

 capsule about \ in. 



Sandy ground in the dry region, usually on the seacoast ; common. 

 FI. all the year ; white. 



Also in India, Malaya, Trop. Africa, and W. Indies. 

 The whole plant is very bitter. 



5. GENTZANA, L. 



Perennial herb, 1. opp., numerous, fl. solitary, terminal, 

 rather small; cal.-segm. 5, acute; cor. widely funnel-shaped, 

 with folds between the lobes, lobes 5, shorter than tube, 

 spreading, contorted; stam. 5, inserted near base of cor.-tube, 

 included; ov. i -celled with 2 parietal placentas, stigmas 2, 

 divergent ; capsule stalked, septicidally 2-valved ; seeds very 

 numerous, trigonous. — Sp. 180; 37 in FL B. hid., all Hima- 

 layan and only the following one reaching the S. Indian 

 mountains. 



G. quadrifaria, Bl. Bijd. 847 (1826). 



G. zeylajjica, Griseb. in DC. Prod. ix. 108. G. pedicellata, Wall., 

 Thw. Enum. 204. C. P. 1873. 



FI, B. Ind. iv. in. Wight, Ic. t. 1328 {G. pedicellata). 



Stems numerous, 4-8 in., lax, procumbent or ascending, 

 quadrangular, glabrous, corymbosely branched above; 1. very 

 numerous, rather crowded, decussate, sessile, \ in. or less, 

 broadly ovate or rotundate, rounded at base, apiculate, thick, 

 shining; fl. nearly sessile, terminating the numerous branches, 

 thus giving the appearance of a corymbose infl. ; cal. glabrous, 

 segm. oblong-oval, with a shortly spreading mucronate apex; 

 cor. under I, in. diani., lobes lanceolate, acute, bristle-pointed, 

 folds bifid ; capsule J in., ovoid, elevated on a stalk ~ in. long 

 and exserted beyond the persistent cal. and cor., valves re- 

 curved, yellow, tipped with the styles. 



Upper montane zone, on patana land above 6000 ft.; common. Fl. 

 all the year; pale but brilliant blue. 



Also in the mountains of India, Burma, Java, and in China. 



The only true Gentian in Ceylon, and the flowers, though small, have 

 the intense blue of some of the favourite alpine species. The yellow 

 exserted capsules after dehiscence are constantly mistaken for flowers- — 

 hence, no doubt, the colour, ' yellowish-green,' given for the flowers in 

 FI. B. Ind. 



