Aca)!thiis.'\ AcanthacecE. 317 



the upper part, innermost pair longer, boat-shaped, mem- 

 ibranous, with only a terminal spine ; sep. unequal, outer pair 

 I in., inner shorter, all linear, apiculate, membranous, veined ; 

 lower lip of cor. \ in. ; capsule small, under \ in., completely 

 enclosed in persistent sep. and bracts, ovoid, compressed, 

 smooth. 



Dry region, near the coast; rather rare. Jaffna; Mannar; Trin- 

 comahe ; Batticaloa. Fl. Feb., March ; bright violet. 

 Also in Peninsular India. 



13. ACANTHUS, L. 



Large perennial herb, 1. opp., rigid, spiny, fl. large, in 

 terminal spikes, bracts and bractlets large, nearly equal ; sep. 

 4, in 2 pairs, nearly equal, large, ovate ; cor.-tube very short, 

 horny, upper lip entirely absent, lower slightly 3-lobed ; stam. 

 4, very large, fil. equal, very thick ; anth. connate, i -celled, 

 very densely bearded ; disk o, stigma shortly bifid ; capsule 

 ovoid, slightly compressed ; seeds 4, orbicular, much com- 

 pressed, testa much wrinkled, retinacula short. — Sp. 14 ; 7 in 

 Fl. B. hid. 



A. illcifolius, L. Sp. PL 939 (1753). Zkili, Katu-ikili, S. 



Dilivaria ilicifolia^ Juss., Moon Cat. 46. Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 268. 

 Thw. Enum. 232. C. P. 2017 (2018). 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 481. Wight, Ic. t. 459. 



Stems several, 2-4 ft., erect, scarcely branched, stout, 

 cylindrical, glabrous ; 1. large, 4-6 in., oblong-oval or oblong- 

 lanceolate, acute at base, acute or truncate at apex, with a 

 few large sharply spinous teeth on each side terminating the 

 lat. veins, glabrous and shining, coriaceous and rigid, venation 

 conspicuous, petiole short, stout, usually with 2 stipule-like 

 spines at the base, fl, sessile in opp. pairs, spike short, rather 

 crowded, bracts and bractlets ovate, mucronate, glabrous ; 

 sep. f in., obtuse, mucronate, adpressed-pubescent ; cor. 

 \\-2 in., lower lip obovate-oval, pubescent within, the middle 

 lobe much the smallest; stam. over i in.; style slightly ex- 

 ceeding stam.; capsule about i in., blunt, apiculate, shining, 

 bright brown. 



Var. /3, integrifolius, And. in Thiv. Eninn. 232. 



L. lanceolate, with a terminal spine only. 



Ditches, &c., near the seashore ; common, especially in mangrove 

 swamps. Fl. March, April, Sept.; bright purple-blue. 



Also in S. India, Burma, Malaya, Australia, and the Philippine Is. 



