77. RUBIACE.^. [27. Oldenlandia. 



or hispidulous and ending in a pungent tip, not nnlike those of 

 Hedyotis pinifolia. Stipules scariovis Ol-l" including the 1-4 slender 

 appendages or bristles. Peduncles mostly solitary axillary and 1-fld. 

 but sometimes 2-nate or 3-4-fid. with a minute slender bract at the 

 fork. Ped. and pedicels filiform. Sepals narrowly lanceolate, slightly 

 shorter than the corolla-tube, margins hispidulous. Fruiting calyx 

 •12-*13" long Avith the teeth rather shorter than the hypanthium, the 

 latter slightly hispidulous or glabrescent. Capsule slightly projecting 

 above the hypanthium. Seeds broadly oblong angled. 

 Loharclag-ga, Gamble ! Singbhum ! 



3. 0. diffusa, Boxh. 



Scarcely more than a variety of 0. conjmhosa, very diffuse, dis- 

 tinguished by the flowers being solitary and sessile or with peduncles 

 scarcely exceeding the length of the flower. Glabrous, Avith narrowly 

 lanceolate or linear leaves. 



"Wet ground, Pui'iieah ! Probablj- common. Fl. r.s. 



4. 0, crystallina, Roxh. 



A small diffuse flaccid glabrous annual or the well-marked stem 

 I'idges and leaves slightly hispidulous, branches 2-4" long-, L. ell. or 

 lane, •25-"6", minutely dotted. Peduncles 1-2-fld. ; if 1-fld. then shorter 

 than the leaves. It differs from the preceding especially in the 

 broader leaves and the broadly lane, sometimes hisjDid, sepals "07" 

 long, the bases of which nearly touch even in fruit (as in Hedijotis) 

 and which are nearly as long as the corolla. Hyp. in fruit strongly 

 4- nerved or -ribbed. 



Garden paths, etc. ! Fl., Fr. Jan.-Marcli. 



Stem often minutely hirtellous. Fls. "09" sometimes o-merou-s. Petals ovate. 

 Seeds rounded oblong minutely pitted. 



5. 0. herbacea, Roxh. Syn. O. Heyneii, F.B.I. 



An erect much corymbosely branched herb 1-2 ft. high with lower 

 leaves linear-lanceolate tapering both ends, very acute, about 1", 

 upper smaller linear. Stipules 0, obscure or with minute teeth. Fls. 

 very numerous, solitaiy in the axils of all but the lowest leaves, on 

 very slender peduncles •25-"75" (rarely 1") long. Top of capsule 

 ridged projecting above the hypanthium and reaching to about the 

 level of or beyond the top of the sepals. Seeds minute black or 

 brown, ellipsoid 3-angled. 



Not recorded from the Northern Tract, but from Ghota Nag-pur southwards it is 

 fairly common in open jungles and waste ground. Ranchi ! Hazaribagh, Gamble ! 

 'M&nhhnm, Clarke, Gamble \ Puri ! Sambalpur ! Fl., Fr. Sept.-Jan. 



Quite glabrous, even the 4 raised lines or angles on the stems. Corolla "I-'IS" 

 long, several times longer than the vei'y small subulate sepals. Fr. nearly globose 

 or very slightly didymous, "l". 



The enttre plant is used in medicine and is regarded as a bitter tonic and 

 febrifuge. 



6. 0. umbellata, L. 



A diffuse annu.al Avith branches 2-6" long, stems rather woody, 

 about 6-8-ridged or -lined, hispidulous (sometimes glabrous, F.B.I.) . 



447 



