\ 



xcvi. acanthac'e;e, 353 



oblong or slightly obovate, rounded or truncate. Filaments quite 

 glabrous, one short and one long filament of each pair united at the 

 base. Style slightly pubescent, fihform. Capsules ^ in. long, linear- 

 oblong, pointed, 4-8-seeded. DC. Prodr. v. 11 (1847) p. 247 ; Wight, 

 Icon. t. 449 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 189 ; Liudau, in Engl. & Prantl, 

 Pflanzenf. v. 4, 3 B, p. 297. Barkria longifolia, Linn. Amoen. Acad. 

 V. 4, p. 320; Grab. Cat. p. 161. Hygropidla spinosa, T. Auder3. in 

 Thw. Einun. (1860) p. 225 ; C. B. Clarke, in. Hook. f. Fl. B. I. v. 4, 

 p. 408; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 3, p. 293; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. 

 V. 12 (1899) p. 355 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prodr. v. 4, p. 316.— Flowers : 

 June-Jan. Vern. Kolsliindd (plant) ; TdlimkTidna (seeds). 



Coiunion throughout the Presidency in swampy places. Konkan : Stocks ! ; 

 Boiiibiiy, Law ! ; Neral, Cooke ! IJeccan : widely, Woodrow ; Poena, Cooke !, 

 Woodroiv ! — Distrib. Throughout India ; Ceylon, Tropical and S. Africa. 



The whole plant, as well as its root and seeds, is used medicinally. The seeds are 

 an article of commerce in Indian markets. See Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. c. 



10. HYGROPHILA, E. Br. 



Herbs, occasionally spinescent. Leaves opposite, lanceolate or ob- 

 ovate, entire. Flowers sessile in terminal heads or axillary whorls ; 

 bracts elliptic or lanceolate ; bracteoles linear or lanceolate. Calyx 

 tubular, 5-fid ; teeth lanceolate or linear. Corolla bluish-purple, 2- 

 lipped ; tube swollen at top ; lobes twisted to the left in bud. Stamens 

 4, didynamous, the upper pair similar to the lower or smaller, or some- 

 times rudimentary ; filaments glabrous ; anthers oblong, the cells equal, 

 divaricate or connate at the base. Ovary 2-celled, oblong, with a hairy 

 tip ; ovules 4-many in each cell (rarely 2) ; style long, hairy ; stigma 

 simple, linear. Capsule linear or narrowly oblong, bearing seeds from 

 the base. Seeds few, ovoid, compressed, hygroscopically white-hairy ; 

 retinacula hardened, acute, curved. — Distrib. Tropical and subtropical 

 regions ; species exceeding 20. 



Flowers in terminal spikes. 



Stamens 2 fertile, the upper pair reduced to teeth ; seeds 20 



or more I. H. polysperma. 



Stamens 4 fertile, the anthers of the upper pair \ as long as 



those of the lower ; seeds 8-10 2. H. Serpyllum. 



Flowers in axillary whorls. Stamens 4 ; anthers subequal ; 



seeds 20-28 3. H. angustifolia. 



1. Hygrophila polysperma, T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. v. 9 

 (18G7) p. 456. A small procumbent herb 6-12 in., much-branched, the 

 branches often rooting near the base. Leaves subsessile, variable, 

 |-1| by ^-g in., from narrowly oblong to ovate, subobtuse, entire or 

 nearly so, mostly glabrous, base usually tapering. Flowers in terminal 

 dense oblong spikes 1-4 in. long ; bracts ^-^ by ^ in., elliptic-oblong, 

 obtuse, pubescent on both sides and with a strong midnerve ; bracteoles 

 I in. long, linear (less than gV in. broad). Calyx tubular, 1 in. long, 

 pubescent, divided rather more than |-way down ; teeth 5, narrowly 

 linear, hairy, with scarious ciliate margins. Corolla ^ in. long, pale- 

 blue, 2-lipped, pubescent. Stamens 2 fertile, the upper stamens re- 

 duced to teeth ; filaments filiform ; anther-cells parallel, equal, muticous. 

 Capsules | by yL_ in., narrowly oblong, very shortly apiculate, glabrous ; 

 valves recur\ed after dehiscence. Seeds 20-32, orbicular, on hard 



