370 Labiates. \Plectranthus. 



minutely pubescent on veins beneath, petiole variable in 

 length, slender ; fl. on slender spreading ped., bracts ovate, 

 acute, shorter than ped.; cal. nearly glabrous, membranous, 

 veiny, upper segm. erect, acute ; cor. rather variable in size, 

 pubescent outside, lobes oblong, obtuse. 



Shady places in the dry region; rather common. FI. Jan.-April; 

 very pale purple. 



Also in S. India. 



This is made a variety of O. tomefttosus, Benth., of S. India, in 

 Fl. B. Ind., and probably rightly so. Our plant is always quite glabrous. 



[0. diffusus, Benth., is quoted with doubt for Ceylon, Walker, in 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 613. The specimens were probably collected in Southern 

 India.] 



5. PZ.ECTRANTKUS, L Merit 



Perennial herbs, fl. small, in lax opp. cymes (whorls) in 

 racemes or panicles; cal. enlarged in fruit, segm. 5, all nearly 

 equal or forming 2 lips ; cor.-tube long or short, straight or 

 deflexed, limb 2-lipped, upper lip short, usually 4-lobed, lower 

 lip long, entire, boat-shaped ; stam. 4, fil. distant, cells con- 

 fluent, disk often prominent in front ; style bifid ; achenes 

 smooth or nearly so. — Sp. 80; 32 in Fl. B. Ind. 



Fruiting-cal. 2-lipped, upper lip of 3, lower of 

 2 segm, 



L. oval- ovate i. P. nigrescens. 



L. narrowly lanceolate 2. P. Walkeri. 



Fruiting-cal. 2-lipped, upper lip entire, lower of 

 4 segm. 



Stam. much exserted 3. P. Gardneri. 



Stam. included 4. P. COLEOIDES. 



Fruiting-cal. not 2-lipped. segm. nearly equal. 



L. hairy beneath 5. P. CAPILLIPES. 



L. white-tomentose beneath 6. P. menthoides. 



I. P. nig-rescens, Benth. Lab. 710 (1832). 



P. hians, Benth. in DC. Prod. xii. 57. P. scabrellus^ Benth. 1. c. 58. 

 Thw. Enum. 237 (part). C. P. 425. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iv. 617. 



Stem ii-2 ft, erect, slightly branched, bluntly quadran- 

 gular, finely or coarsely pubescent; 1. U-3 in., oval-ovate, 

 obtuse at both ends, coarsely serrate-crenatc, hairy on both 

 sides, thin, somewhat rugose, with prominent veins and often 

 purple beneath, petiole A-i j in.; fl. on rather long glandular 

 pilose ped., cymes lax, shortly stalked, whorls distant in much 

 elongated terminal racemes, bracts very small, leafy ; cal. 

 inflated, curved, pubescent deeply 2-lipped, upper lip erect, 

 flat, with 3 short triangular teeth, lower lip shorter, with 2 



