328 AcantJiacecr . \Gyinnostacliyum. 



Stem 8-18 in., erect, stiff, with a few spreading branches 

 from the base, densely covered with long white spreading 

 hair; 1. sessile, ii-3 in., oblong, narrowed to base, very 

 obtuse, hairy on both sides; fl. numerous, sessile or nearly, 

 erect, rather closely placed on the upper side of short, 

 divaricate or recurved, glandular-hairy, axillary racemes 

 shorter than the 1., bracts and bractlets very small; sep. 

 linear-filiform, densely glandular-hairy, elongating with fruit; 

 cor. under \ in., pubescent outside; capsule |; in., lanceolate, 

 about twice as long as broad, acute, slightly pubescent. 



Low country, in the dry region, common ; in the moist region, rare, 

 and only on the coast as at Colombo and Kalutara. Fl. Dec-March ; 

 pink. 



Also in Peninsular India. 



Very different in habit to the other species. Hermann gives the S. 

 names, ' Kawatumba' and ' Kaktumba,' for this. Linnceus has a var. /3, 

 to which he refers Burmann's figure, which represents a luxuriant 

 specimen apparently. 



19. GYMNOSTACKVUM, Nces. 



Perennial herbs, 1. opp. ; fl. moderate-sized in terminal or 

 axillary paniculate cymes, bracts and bractlets very small 

 (except in 5); sep. 5, often slightly connate at base, equal, 

 narrow; cor.-tube long, slender, limb small, 2-lippcd, lobes 5, 

 short, nearly equal, imbricate; stam. 2, anth. 2-celled, cells 

 equal, oblong, sometimes spurred at the base; capsule linear, 

 slightly compressed; seeds 8-16 or more, compressed, slightly 

 hairy. — Sp. 15; i^ in Fl. B. Ind. 



All our species are endemic. 



Bractlets small, much shorter than sep. 

 Cymes large, terminal. 



Stem short, leafy at base only. 



L. glabrous above . . . i. G. zevlanicum. 



L. hairy above 

 Stem long, leafy throughout 

 Cymes small, axillarj' . 

 Bractlets filiform, as long as sep. 



2. G. Thwaitesii. 



3. G. I'ANICULATUM. 



4. G. SANC.UINOLENTUM. 



5. (;. HIRSUTUM. 



I. G. zeylanicuxn, Am. atid Nces in DC. Prod. xi. 93 (1S47). 



Thw. Enum. 232. C. P. 2019. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 508. Bedd. Ic. PI. Ind. Or. t. 265. 

 Rhizome prostrate, pubescent, giving off long roots, stem 

 short, erect, stout, unbranched, cylindrical, densely pubescent; 

 1. few, closely placed, 2-4 in. (rarely larger), broadly oval, 

 more or less tapering at base, obtuse, shallowly crcnate, 

 glabrous but rather harsh with lineola^ above, finely pubescent 

 and paler beneath, stiff, often somewhat bullate between the 



