80 . CENTLANACE^. [Limnanthemum. 



Abundant in ponds within the area. Flowers April to September. Dis- 

 trib. Throughout India and in Ceylon ; also in Afghanistan extending 

 to China, Malaya, Australia and to the Fiji and Mascarene Islands. 



LXXV.-HYDROPHYLLACE^ 



Herbs, rarely shrubs. Leaves radical or alternate ; stipules none. 

 Flowers regular, bisexual, usually in unilateral or 2-chotomous 

 cymes, sometimes spicate or in racemes. Calyx inferior, 5-partite. 

 Corolla 5-lobed ; lobes imbricate, rarely contorted. Stamens 5, 

 inserted on corolla-tube and alternate with its lobes ; filaments filiform, 

 anthers versatile, introrse. Disk hypogynous, inconspicuous or none. 

 Ovary superior, 1-2-celled ; ovules usually many, styles 1 or 2. 

 Capsule 2-valved or dehiscing irregularly. Seeds minute, albumen 

 fleshy, embryo minute. — Species about 170, chiefly American. 



HYDROLEA, Linn. ; PL Brit. Ind. iv, 133. 



Leaves alternate, entire. Flowers blue, in short terminal racemes 

 or cymes. Calyx- segments lanceolate. Corolla rotate or campanu- 

 late, lobes imbricate. Stamens inserted on the short corolla-tube, 

 filaments usually dilated at the base, anthers sagittate. Ovary 

 completely 2-celled ; ovules many in each cell ; styles 2, distinct. 

 Capsule globose or ovoid, dehiscing septicidally or sometimes irre- 

 gularly. — Species about 20, in N. and S. America and in Trop. 

 Africa, extending to India, Malaya and Australia. 



H.zeylanica, Vahl. Symb.Bot. ii, 46; F.B.I. iv,133; Watt B.D.; 

 Brain Beng. PL 711; Cooke Fl. Bomb. ii,197 ; Nama zeylanica, L. ; Boxb. 

 Fl. Ind. ii, 73. 



An annual usually decumbent herb. Stems up to 20 in. long, often rooting 

 at the lower nodes, somewhat succulent, glabrous below, glandular 

 pubescent upwards. Leaves membranous, |-2 in. long, lanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, narrowed at both ends, glabrous or somewhat pubes- 

 cent, petiole very short. Flowers in racemes, on short lateral branches, 

 bracts leafy. Calyx £ in. long ; lobes acute, gland pubescent, 3-nerved. 

 Corolla blue with darker veins, £-£ in. long, deeply partite, lobes ovate. 

 Stamens exserted, filaments dilated at the base, anthers sagittate and 

 often twisted Capsule | in. long, ovoid-oblong, enclosed in the enlarged 

 persistent calyx, placentas central. Seeds many, minute, oblong. 



