3IO AcanthaceCS. [StrobHanthes. 



somewhat recurved, bractlets linear, ciliatc ; cal.-segm. very 

 deep, J in., rather longer than bractlets, narrowly linear, hairy ; 

 cor. glabrous outside, tube over ^ in., lower half slender, 

 narrow, upper half widely funnel-shaped, lobes oblong-oval, 

 obtuse ; stam. 4, slightly exserted ; capsule I in., oblong, 

 pointed ; seeds 4, with a dense fringe of hair round margin, 

 elastic when whetted. 



Var. /3, Integra, Clarke, I. c. C. P. 3661. 

 L. nearly entire, glabrous. 



Dry region ; rather rare. Batticaloa Dist.; Badulla Dist.; Rintenne; 

 DambuUa. Var. j8, ' Central Prov.' Fl. March ; very pale violet. 



Endemic. 



The material for var. /3 is very scanty, only leaves; it is doubtful 

 whether they belong to this species. The only dry-country Sh'obilanthes 

 (except stcnodon). 



19. S. Gardnerianus, And. m Thw. Enum. 226 (i860). 

 Endopogon Gardnerianus, Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 723. C. P. 2006. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 446. Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. t. 259. 



Stems 1-2 ft., shrubby and bare of leaves below; 1. small, 

 _|-ii in., nearly sessile, broadly ovate, subcordate at base, 

 obtuse, crenate-serrate, reflexcd at margin, hispid-hairy on 

 both sides, often bullate, venation conspicuous ; fl. large, 3 or 

 4 together in axils of large, leafy, recurved, rotundate, 

 glandular-hairy bracts forming dense terminal spikes inter- 

 rupted below, floral bracts lanceolate-oblong, acute, glandular- 

 hairy at top, bractlets linear, glandular-hairy; cal. | in., 

 narrow, segm. deep, linear, glandular-hairy ; cor. glabrous 

 outside, tube nearly i in., very much curved, lower half 

 narrowly tubular, upper half much inflated, gibbous, lobes 

 oblong-oval, rounded, recurved ; stam. 4, slightly exserted ; 

 capsule not seen. 



Montane zone; very rare. Hantane at 4000 ft.; not found recently. 

 Fl. Jan.; bright pale violet, tube greenish-white beneath. 



Endemic. 



I have not seen this pretty species in a living state. 



\S. scnber, Nees, appears in Thw. Enum. 227 as a Ceylon species on 

 the authority of a specimen from ' Walker in Herb. Hook.' (which cannot 

 now be found at Kew). The Fl. B. Ind. says it is reported as cultivated 

 here ; I have never seen it. But see under Heinigraphts Jlava."] 



20. S. vestltus, A'ces in DC. Prod. xi. 180 (1847). 

 Thw. JCnum. 228. C. P. 3660. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 449. Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. t. 260 (not good). 



Stems 2-5 ft., very stout, quadrangular, swollen above 

 nodes, shaggy with dcflcxed hair ; 1, 3A-6 in., oval, acute at 

 base, shortly acuminate, subacute, finely serrate-dentate, 

 scabrous with prickly hair above, hispid-hairy beneath, petiole 



