Astekacastiia. ] ACAXTHACEJK. 185 



01mm cn>ct. 2-5 ft. high, more or Lem hispid with Long hairs especially »t 

 the base of eaoh node. / mbsessile, the 2 outer of eaofa whorl up 



to 7 in. long, oblong>lanoeolate <>r oblanoeolate, sparsely hispid on both 

 sides with long white hairs, eaofa of the leaves with along sharp nearly 

 straight yellow spine In its axil. Plover* in a whorl of 8 (four pain 

 eaoh node ■ lu-acts about 1 in. long, lanceolate, oiliate ; braoteolee smaller 

 linear-lanoeolate. Galym-segmentt f-$ in. long, linear4anoeolate, hairy 

 outside and with hyaline oiliate margins, the upper broader and rather 

 longer than the other three. Corolla 1-li in. long, pale bluish-purple 

 or white : tube | in. long, abruptly dilated above, lips subcquul. 

 Capsuls $ in. long, linear-oblong, pointed. 



Common over the greater portion of the area, in ditches and swampy 

 ground. Distr ib. Throughout India and in Ceylon, also at Singapore 

 and extending to Trop. and S. Africa. The whole plant, including the 

 root and Beeds, i- valued by natives for certain medicinal properties'! 



7. HYGROPHILA, R. Br. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. iv, 406. 



Herbs, usually found in wet places. Leaves opposite, lanceolate or 

 obovate, entire. Flowers bluish-purple, sessile, in terminal heads or 

 axillary whorls ; braets elliptic or lanceolate ; bracteoles linear or 

 lanceolate, shorter than the calyx. Calyx tubular, 5-fid., rarely 4- 

 partite, lobes linear or lanceolate. Corolla 2-lipped, nearly glabrous, 

 tube dilated above, lobes twisted to the left in bud. Stamens didyn- 

 araous, the posterior pair sorretimes smaller or rudimentary, fila- 

 ments glabrous, anthers oblong ; cells equal, diverging or connate at 

 the base. Ovary oblong, tip hairy; style slender, hairy; stigma 

 simple, linear ; ovules few or many in each cell. Fruit a linear or 

 narrowly oblong capsule, bearing the seeds from near the base. 

 Seeds usually, many, ovoid, compressed, hygroscopically hairv ; 

 lvtinacula hard, curved, acute. — Species about 30, in tropical and 

 subtropical regions of both hemispheres. 



Flowers in terminal spikes.— Procumbent herbs": — 



Fertile stamens 2. upper pair reduced to teeth, 



leaves usually glahrous. .seeds 20 or more . 1, H. polyspermy. 



Fertile stamens 4, leaves hairy, seeds S-10 . 2. H. Serpylhim. 



Flowers in axillary whorls, stamens 4, seeds 



20 or more. — An erect herb . . . .3. H. angustifolia, 



1. H. polysperma. T. Anderi, in Journ. Linn. Soc. i>. 466 ; F. B. I, i 



40'>;CollettFl. Siml.371 1 Pr.iin Beng. PL 801 ; Cooke FL Bomb, ii, 35,3. 

 Jueticia polyspcima, Bm&.j FL Ind. i, 119. 



