298 Acanthacece. {StrobHanthes. 



in Herb. Kew ; they were, perhaps, from cultivated plants. The flowers 

 are yellow.] 



10. STENOSZPKONITTBI, Nees. 



Straggling undershrub, 1. opp. serrate, fl. moderate-sized in 

 very lax interrupted axillary and terminal spikes, bracts and 

 bractlets equal ; cal. tubular, about as long as bracts, cut 

 about half way down, segm. equal, often split into separate 

 sep. in fruit; cor. with the lower half of tube extremely 

 narrow and cylindrical, above very much inflated and gibbous, 

 curved, rather contracted at mouth, lobes nearly equal, con- 

 torted in bud ; stam. 4, didynamous, slightly exserted ; cap- 

 sule oblong, without a solid base ; seeds usually 6, 3 (or 4) in 

 each cell, oval, compressed, with very fine hygroscopic elastic 

 hair ; retinacula large, curved. — Sp. 5 ; all in Fl. B. Ind. 



S. Russellianum, Nees in Wall. PI. As. Rar. iii. 84 (1832). Bu- 

 nelu, S. Nelu, T. 



Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 105. Thw. Enum. 226. C. P. 2001. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 427. Wight, Ic. t. 1503 (not t. 873). 

 A weedy much-branched undershrub, stem 3-5 ft., slender, 

 thickened at nodes, glabrous; 1. 2-4^- in., oval, much tapering 

 to base and decurrcnt on petiole (the upper ones rounded or 

 subcordate at base) caudate-acuminate, obtuse, coarsely 

 serrate or crenate-serrate, glabrous when mature but usually 

 cottony beneath when young, rather stiff, lat. veins numerous, 

 parallel, prominent beneath, petiole of the lower 1. long, of the 

 uppermost ones short or none ; bracts and bractlets oblong- 

 ovate, acute, glandular-pubescent ; sep. oblong, acute, usually 

 with glandular hair and often with longer bristly ones ; cor. 

 nearly \ in., glabrous ; capsule § in., slightly exceeding cal. 



Var. /3, subsericeum, Nees in Wall. I. c. (sp.). 

 L. smaller and more numerous, very white beneath with 

 cottony tomentum which is sometimes persistent in old ones. 



Forests of the dry region ; very common, forming an undergrowth. 

 In the moist region, rare, extending up to 3000 ft.; e. g., Galagama; 

 Dolosbagie. Fl. December-Feb.; pale violet, with darker spot on the 

 lobes. 



Plays the part of a species of Strobilanthes in the dry-country forests. 

 Var. /3 is easily taken for 5. stcnodon when not in flower. 



II. STROBZXiANTKES,^ /^V. 



Shrubs or herbs, usually of but a few years' duration, often 



* From arpojiiXoc, from the densely spicate inflorescence of some 

 species covered with large imbricated bracts, like a hop. 



