GENTIANACE^. 28g 



oblong-elliptic : base clasping : apex blunt or with small 

 cuspidate point : margin thickened : nerves three strong 

 from the base and an outer fainter pair. Flowering part 

 decussately branched, with flowers pedicelled in the 

 uppermost axils on stalks of ^ inch. Calyx ^ inch, 

 strongly winged : lobes triangular equal to the tube. 

 Corolla lYz inches, deep rich blue : lobes oblong-obovate 

 cuspidate : tube very short. Anthers ^ inch, attached 

 firmly at their bases narrowed upwards. Fruit globose 

 /^ inch, two-celled with many seeds, opening by two 

 opposite slits and surrounded by the persistent winged 

 calyx. 



Pulneys : on the downs in the deeper water channels, 

 flowering June. Not on Nilgiris. Fyson 1903. Bourne 2,21 ^ 

 1609. 



Gen. Dist. Also Anamalais and Malabar. The type species has the 

 leaves rounder and without margin, and occurs also in Quilon (IVight). 



Exacum wightianum Arnott ; F.B.I. iv 97, II 9 ; Giant 

 Field Gentian. 



Stem square, with wings 1/16 inch broad decurrent 

 from the leaf-margins, glabrous I to 3 feet high, branched. 

 Leaves 2 to 5 inches, lanceolate acute narrowed at the 

 base to a broad ^-inch stalk : nerves three strong 

 with another fainter pair outside near the margin. 

 Flowers in the upper axils. Stalks ^ inch erect in 

 flower, longer and curved down in fruit. Calyx divided 

 to the base, the sepals J^ inch, with a wing down the 

 back /^ to 5^ inch wide. Corolla lobes I inch, ovate or 

 oblong, contracted to the mouth of the short roundish 

 tube. Stamens 1/5 to 1/4 inch, not much narrowed to the 

 top, and 'with a minute papilla on the connective 

 behind.' Fruit egg-shaped, Yz inch. 



On the open downs. Nilgiris : Coonoor. Pulneys at 7,000 

 feet near Kodaikanal and below. Fyson 404, 1133, 3043. 

 Boui'ne 438, 1608, 2793, Coonoor. 



