4. Fupalia.] '57. AMARdNTACEJE. [6. Mztji. 



Branchea glabrous or roughly pubesoent. L. 1-4'^ovate or ell. acute 

 apiculate, narrowed into the petiole. Spikes reaching 1 foot, globose 

 sessile clusters distant. Bracts pungent. Sepals 3-nerved wooly at base 

 and sides, sparsely hairy on back, pungent. 



Achyranthes aspera, L. Sitir Kedn, M. ; Chipchirit', S. ; Apang, 

 Beng., is a common weed with opp. leaves and long spikes of flowers, which 

 are soon deflexed and very troublesome in fruit from the spinescent 

 bracts, bracteoles and perianth segments running into the hand and 

 adhering to the clothes. 



Var. porphyristachya.is sub-soandent and common in the forest. Pis., 

 Fr. Oct.-Jany. 



6. jErua, Forsk. 



Herbs or undershrubs, sometimes climbing, with alt., opp. 

 or whorled leaves and small or minnte flowers in solitary or 

 panicled dense spikes. Perianth segments 4-5, short 

 membranons, all or the 3 inner wooly, Filaments connate 

 at base into a cnp with intervening staminodes. Stigmas 1 

 capitellate or 2. Fruit a utricle or circumscissile capsule 

 with coriaceous apex. 



1. A. SCandens, Wall. Nuriya, Beng. 



Stem woody below with branches 2-4' ft. high or sub- 

 ecandent, pubeBcent or hoary- tomentoBe. L. alt., or opp, 

 and alt., elliptic or ell. lane, lower attaining 6'' by 2 J", upper 

 often only 1". Fls. white in dense oblong axillary, terminal 

 and panicled spikes |-2" long. 



Forests, not unfrequent, Singbhum, Hazaribagh, etc.,Fl., Fr. March- 

 Dec. 



Stems striate. L. sub-acuminate, base deourrent on the short 

 petiole. Sec. n. about 8 prs. Fls. 4-5 on short branches of the spike, 

 each subtended by a hyaline shortly aWned bract A* long exactly resem- 

 bling the wooly or villous softly aristate sepals. Capsule thin rupturing 

 irregulary transversely. Seeds black. smooth. 



2. A. Ian at a, Juss. 



Branches many from a woody rootstock, erect or prostrate, hoary 

 tomentose about 1 ft. with small alt. elliptic to orbicular leaves ^-l 7 

 and numerous axillary spikes £-£" long of small wooly flowers. 



A common weed. Fls., Fr. Nov.-Jany. 

 381 



