324 Acanthacece. ^Asy stasia. 



glabrous, stiff; 1. 2-3 in., ovate, rounded or subcordate at 

 base, acute, entire or very faintly crenate, glabrous and very 

 dark green above, paler and slightly pubescent on veins 

 beneath, petiole \~\\ in., very narrowly bordered bydecurrent 

 l.-basc; fl. rather large, numerous, on short ped., in long, lax, 

 unilateral, erect, terminal and axillary, spike-like racemes, 

 bracts and bractlets very small, ovate, acute, ciliate ; sep. 

 linear, acute, pubescent; cor.-tube about f in., narrowly funnel- 

 shaped, puberulous outside, limb i-i| in, diam., lobes rounded ; 

 capsule I in., clavatc, pointed, pubescent ; seeds tuberculate. 



Low country in the dry region, especially near the coast, very common ; 

 in the moist country less so. Fl. Jan., Feb.; pure white, with a yellowish 

 tube and a purple blotch on the lowest lobe. 



Throughout India, Malaya, Arabia, Trop. Africa. 



The colour of the flowers is incorrectly given in Fl. B. Ind.; being of 

 considerable size, they are very ornamental. The A. violacea of Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5882 quoted for this in Fl. B. Ind. seems a very different species. 



2. A. chelonioides, Nces in Wall. PL As. Rar. iii. 89 (1832). 

 Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 165. Thw. Enum. 236. C. P. 1989. 

 Fl. B, Ind. iv. 494. 



Stems long, branched, scrambling but scarcely scandent, 

 quadrangular, swollen above the nodes, glabrous; 1. T)-6 in., 

 oval, acute or rounded at base, caudate-acuminate, usually 

 slightly crenate, minutely scabrous-pubescent on both sides, 

 petiole of upper 1. very short, of lower 1. 1-2 in.; fl. moderate- 

 sized, numerous, on slender ped. \ in. long, in lax, erect, 

 terminal panicles, bracts and bractlets very small, acute; sep. 

 linear-lanceolate, acute, densely pubescent; cor.-tube I in., 

 subcampanulate, inflated, slightly pubescent outside, limb 

 over I in. diam., lobes rounded; capsule nearly i^ in., pointed, 

 finely pubescent, solid base very long, valves much recurved 

 after dehiscence; seeds greyish-yellow, much lobulated. 



Shady places in montane zone to 6000 ft. ; rather common. Ambaga- 

 muwa; Pusselawe ; Ramboda ; Maturata; Sita Eliya, near Hakgala; 

 Maskeliya. Fl. March-May, Aug.-October ; pale purple, densely 

 sprinkled in the throat with purple dots. 



Also in S. India, but doubtfully wild there. 



3. A. variabilis, T7-i?n. 



Ruellia variabilis. Moon Cat. 46 (1824). A. coromandeliana., var. 7, 

 variabilis, Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 165. A. cheloiiioidcs, Thw. Enum. 236 

 (part). A. nemorum, Nees, var. W angustifolia, Thw. ex And. in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. ix. 525. A. qiiadrane^idaris (Heyne), Trim. Syst. Cat. 67. 

 C P. 552. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 494 {A. chelontotdcs, var. quadrangiilaris). 



Stems long, semi-scandent, with many divaricate branches, 

 stout, slightly swollen above nodes, acutely quadrangular with 



