338 Acanthacece. [Adhatoda. 



oblong-linear, acute at base, obtuse, margins often reflexed, 

 glabrous, and very coarsely lineolate (so as to appear wrinkled 

 when dried) above, often slightly hairy on veins beneath; 

 spikes rather lax, usually interrupted below, i-2i in., longer 

 than peduncles, terminal rarely axillary, bractlets linear, 

 ciliate with long hair; sep. 5, similar to bractlets; lower lip of 

 cor. nearly orbicular, lobes very short ; capsule \ in., oblong- 

 ovoid, blunt, glabrous. 



Montane zone, 3000-6000 ft. ; rather common. Ambagamuwa ; Adam's 

 Peak; Palugama, Uva. Fl. Nov.-Feb.; bright pink. 



Endemic. 



9. J. diffusa, IVilld. Sp. PI. i. 87 (1797)- 



RosteUularia diffusa, Nees, Thw. Enum. 234. C. P. 1976. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 538. 



Stems woody below, much branched, sub-quadrangular, 

 glabrous; 1. 1-I4 in., ovate-oval, acute at both ends, glabrous, 

 strongly lineolate, petiole ^^-f in. ; spikes 1-2 in., very slender 

 and narrow, lax, much interrupted, terminal and axillary, 

 bractlets lanceolate, acute, glabrous; sep. much longer than 

 bractlets, linear-lanceolate, very acute, nearly glabrous; cor. 

 very small; capsule \ in., acute, with a very short, solid base; 

 seeds slightly rugose. 



Var. /3, prostrata, Roxb. in Fl. B. Ind. I. c. 



Stems prostrate, depressed; 1. much smaller, \ in. or less, 

 broadly oval or suborbicular, spikes shorter and more dense, 

 bractlets and sep. broader, with membranous margins; cap- 

 sule smaller, \ in. 



Dry region; rather rare. Trincomalie; Batticaloa; Venloos Bay; 

 Bintenne. Var. /3, Kalpitiya ; near Kankesanturai. Fl. July-Dec; pink. 



Also in India, Burma, and Siam. 



Var. /3, growing in very arid exposed rocky places, is often very dwarf, 

 prostrate, woody, and intricately branched. 



23. ADHATODA,* A'd'^.y. 

 Differs from Jiisticia only in the lower cell of anth. being 

 pointed but not spurred. The 2 genera would be better com- 

 bined. — Sp. 6; 2 in Fl. B. Ind. 



*A. Vasica,+ Xees in Wall. PL As. Par. iii. 103 (1832). Agra- 



ladara, W^anepala, S. Adatodai, Pavettai, T. 



Herm. Hort. Acad. Lugd.-Bat. 642; Mus. 23. Burm. Thes. 6. Fl. 

 Zeyl. n. 16. Justicia Adhatoda, L. Sp. PI. 15. Moon Cat. 3. Thw. Enum. 

 233. C. P. 1991. 



Fl. B. Ind. iv. 540. Herm. Hort. Acad. Lugd.-Bat. t. 643. Bot. Mag. 

 t. 861. 



* The Tamil name scarcely altered. 



t Vasica, from Vasaka, the Sanskrit name. 



