27. Oldenlandia.] 77. RUBIACE^. 



Hedyoth is well united with this genus in the Flora of Madras ; the species with 

 broad-based sepals adjacent in fruit {e.g. crysfallina) are scarcely distinguishable. 

 The older name is Oldenlandia. 

 \ Leaves narrow, sometimes grass-like. Seeds angled, smooth. 

 I. CoroUa-tnbe short or only slightly exceeding the sepals. 



A. Peduncles axillary from the lower or all the axils, not 



in leafless panicles. 



1. Diffuse or sub-ei'ect. 



Sepals triangular-subulate distant. Pedicels long- 

 slender, usually paired on a slender peduncle. 

 L. not acicular 1. cori/mbosa, 



Hispidulous. L. sub-acicular. Peduncle often or 



short. Pedicels often 2-4-nate . . . .2. scalrida. 



Glabrous. Pedicels solitary, very short, often not 

 exceeding flower or . . . . . .3. difttsa. 



Sepals lu'oadly lanceolate, contiguous. Fls. 1-2 

 from all the axils. Small prostrate herb . . 4. crj/sfallina. 



2. Erect, corymbosely branched. Pedicel slender 



solitary axillary. Sepals very short, distant . 5. herhacta. 



B. Peduncles mostly from the upper axils, several-fid., 



sometimes eymose but not in open terminal cymes 



or panicles. 

 PuT)esoeMt. L. •2-'5". Stipules with bristles. Sep. 



nearly as long as corolla. Capsule 'Oo-'OG" . . G. nmbellata.. 

 Rigid nearly glabrous. Stipules muticous. L. '3-'9". 



sepals half as long as corolla. Capsule u|) to '15" , 7. arenaria. 



C. Peduncles from the upper axils and in terminal leafless 



lax eymose panicles. 



Branches acutely 4-angled 8. hrachiata. 



II. Corolla-tube long, far longer than the sepals. 



A. Whole plant divaricately branched ending in dichoto- 



mous cymes with vei'y slender peduncles . . .9. dichotoma. 



B. Plant strict or only branched above. 



Fls. "2" long. Capsule '12" long and broad . . .10, nagporeniis. 

 Fls. "G" long. Capsule "16" long, oblong . . .11. gracilis. 

 tf Leaves elliptic or ovate, rarely oblong, over "25" bi'oad. 

 Seeds subololjose. pitted. 

 Branched from the base. L. not s^^b-verticillate . . . 12. panicvlata. 

 Sub-simple, short with one pair of leaves below and a sub- 

 verticil above 13. n-ddicaulis. 



1. 0. corymbosa, L. 



A branching- diffuse slender glabrous or niinntely hispidulous 

 annual with linear, linear-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic-lane, leaves 

 •5-2" long- Avithout visible sec. n. Flowers minute Avliite paired, more 

 rarely only 1 or 3-4 on the axillary peduncles Avhich are longer or 

 shorter than the very slender "l-'o" long- pedicels. Sepals subulate 

 •04--05" long-. Corolla-tube slightly exceeding- the sepals. Capsule 

 •08--1" long- and broad, not projecting beyond the hypanthiuni. 



A common weed, usually in rather moist places, dried rice-fields, moist paths, 

 etc., ascending to the tops of the pats in Chota Nagpur ! Probably in all districts. 

 Fl., Fr. June-Jan. 



A''ery variable with l)ranches from 2" to 1 ft., leaf margins I'ecurved, stipules 

 short membranous with 2-3 long fine teeth and often smaller intermediate ones. 

 Corolla about •09" long including the ])etals. 



The next species is practically a well-marked variety of this which I keep 

 distinct becau>e O. difiim is usually kept distinct although it differs quite as little. 



2. 0. scabrida, DC. Syn. O. corymbosa, F.B.I, (in part). 



A sub- erect much-branched slender herb 5-9" high with 4-angled 

 scabrellous or hispidulous stems and very narrowly linear or sub- 

 acicular leaves "o-lo" long with the margins i-ecurved scabrellous 



44G 



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