77. BTJBIACEJE. [25. Ophiorrhiza. 



24. DENTELLA, Forst. 

 Herb. Leaves small, sometimes appearing -wliorled from the abbre- 

 viated axillary shoots. Fls. minute inconspicuous at the forks of the 

 branches or ends of the shoots. Hypanthium globose. Calyx at first 

 5-sepalous, ultimately basal portion elongating into a tube. Corolla 

 funnel-shaped with the petals 2-o-toothed, induplicate-valvate. Fruit 

 indehiscent 2-celled with many minute angular seeds covered with 

 microscopic raised dots. 



1. D. repens, Forst. 



A small prostrate weed copiously sub-dichotoroously branched with the branches 

 2-10'' long- rooting- at the nodes'. Leaves membranous narrow elliptic or ob- 

 lanceolate or spatlVulate, •2-'3" long including- the short petiole, sparsely hairy or 

 ciliate or glabrous with scarious truncate stipules. Fls. mostly solitary, very 

 inconsi^icuous, sessile, white. Hypanthium hispid, or when dry appearing 

 tibrillous. Sepals linear "Oo". Friiit '08" diam., usually closely covered with 

 fibrillfe which collect the dust, so that in the field it appear.s like a little ball of mud 

 (sometimes glabrous, teste F.B.I. !), crowned by the persistent calyx "07" long. 



Common along moist river beds, damp banks, rice-fields, etc. Purneah, very 

 common ! Gya ! Monghvr, bed of Gang-es '. C'hota Nagpur 1 Probably in all 

 districts. Fl., Fr. Sept. and throughout c.s. 



25. OPHIORRHIZA, L. 



Herbs, rarely undershrubs with usually more or less ellii)tic leaves 

 and caducous stipules. Fls. white or pink, secund on the branches 

 of axillary'- or terminal 2-chotomous cymes. Hypanthium short often 

 compressed with 5 small persistent sepals. Corolla tubular or f imnel- 

 shaped, lobes 5 short valvate, back often winged. Stamens 5 on tlie 

 tube, anthers linear. Disc large 2-lobed. Ovary 2-celled, style 

 filiform, ovules many on basal ascending placenta?. Capsule coriaceous- 

 compressed, i^roduced above the hypanthium, dehiscing at the top with 

 broad gaping valves. Seeds many minute angded. Embryo clavate. 



Leaves lanceolate. Fl. •2-*3" long. Fr. "a-VS" broad . . . \. Harnsiana. 

 L. ell. or oblanceolate.. Fl. "o-'TS" long. Fr. "l" .... 2. fageiciilafa. 



1. 0. Harrisiana, Heyne. 



A succulent herb 1-1 "5 ft. liigh erect from a creeping root with 

 lanceolate satiny leaves 2"o-4" long, puberulous on the nerves beneath. 

 White flowers •2-S" long, hispidulous, ribbed, on the 3-5 erecto- 

 patent stoiat fleshy branches of the cymes, Avhicli elongate to 2 or 

 2-5" in fruit and bear the curious transversely compressed fruits 

 •25--3" broad along the inner face. Bracts on the cyme 0. 



Near streams under the shade of trees, Baruni Hill forest, Puri ! Fl., Fr. 

 September. 



L. acuminate both ends with about 12 close-set secondary nerves depressed 

 above. Stipules Avith a long filiform tip. Cymes minutely pubescent. Fruit 

 hispidulous-pubescent. 



Note.— Tlie above description is entirely from my notes on the fresh specimens, 

 which I have been unable to compaie as they were lost in camp. The pubescent 

 capsules woidd bring it under O. tricJiocarpa, B\., but O. tvichocarpa is altogether 

 more piibescent than the Puri jilant. 



2. 0. fasciculata, Bon. 



An erect sub- succulent w-eak herb abotit a foot high ascending from 

 a creeping root Avith pubescent stems, elliptic or somewhat ovate or 

 oblanceolate leaves 3-G", somewhat pale and glistening when fresh,. 



443 



