.Strobilanthes:\ AcautkacecB. 3 1 5 



acuminate, acute, undulate-crenate, glabrous on both sides, 

 lineolate, thin, pale beneath, petiole \-\ in., obscure ; fl. 

 rather large, numerous, on short drooping ped. or nearly sessile 

 in very lax helicoid cymes combined to form a large, very lax, 

 •glandular-pubescent, erect, pyramidal, terminal panicle, bracts 

 in pairs at every branch, small, linear, nearly glabrous, floral 

 bracts and brac'tlets none ; cal. small, \ in., glandular-hairy, 

 ■segm. deep, oblong-linear ; cor. glabrous outside, tube nearly 

 I in., tubular-funnel-shaped, lobes shallow, erect ; stam. in- 

 •cluded ; capsule not seen. 



Moist region, 2000-4000 ft. ; rare. Maskeliya; Ambagamuwa; Sabara- 

 gamuwa. Fl. Nov.-Dec; rose-violet. 



Endemic. 



Very near the true S. riibicundus of S. India, figured (as S. panicu- 

 .latus) in Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. t. 199. 



28. S. pulcherrimus, And. in Thw. Enum. 229 (i860). 

 Leptacaiithiis IValkerz, Nees, 1. c. 170 (non Wight). C. P. 266 (301). 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 475. 



Stems 3-6 ft., stout, cylindrical, glabrous, often pubescent 

 •above, becoming woody ; 1. 3-7 in., oval or lanceolate, acute 

 at base, shortly acuminate, acute, faintly crenate-serrate, 

 glabrous above, pubescent on veins beneath, petiole -^-i^ in.; 

 fl. rather large, numerous, drooping, on rather long divaricate 

 glandular-hairy ped., in lax helicoid cymes combined to form 

 large much - branched rather lax densely pubescent and 

 glandular-hairy crimson pyramidal terminal panicles, bracts 

 in pairs at every branch, small, oblong-oval or ovate, acute, 

 green, glandular-hairy, floral bracts and bractlets none ; sep. 

 •over I in., unequal, narrowly linear, subacute, covered with 

 long glandular hairs ; cor. pubescent outside, tube | in,, 

 funnel-shaped, lobes rather deep, rounded, crumpled, 

 spreading ; stam. included, fil. of longer pair with long white 

 hair ; capsule f in., rather shorter than enlarged sep., ovoid, 

 much compressed, pointed, slightly pubescent ; seeds 4, with 

 :shaggy whitish hair. 



Montane region, 4000-7000 ft. ; gregarious, rather rare. Ambagamuwa ; 

 Madulkelle ; Elk and Horton Plains, abundant. Fl. November-Feb.; 

 pale pink-violet, cal. bright pink. 



A lovely plant when in blossom, the whole inflorescence densely 

 covered with long pink-purple spreading gland-tipped hairs, causing a 

 rose-coloured halo in the sunlight. This is too striking a plant to be 

 overlooked when in flower, and it is pretty certain that there was no 

 general flowering between the seasons 188 1-2 and 1893-4. 



The Nilgiri plant referred to this by Wight, and figured in Wight, Ic. 

 t. 1507, is different, ..S'. ainabilis, Clarke, and is said to be even more 

 beautiful. 



