93. GENTIANACE^. [4. Canscor.V. 



in our species) spicate. Calyx tubular, 4-toothed, sometimes winged. 

 Corolla- tube about as long as calyx, lobes 4, often unequal, imbricate 

 in bud. Stamens near top of tube, 1 or 2 longer than the 

 others which are usually reduced to staminodes. Ovary 1 -celled, 

 placentse not much intruded, style linear, stigmas 2 short. Capsule 

 oblong, 2-valved, separating into its 2 carpels or breaking up 

 irregalarly. Seeds very small, polyhedral, dark brown, reticulate. 



A, Calyx wingless, branches and pedicels slender wingless : — 



Leaves (or bracts) on the panicle broadly 0%'ate .... ^. diffusa. 

 Bracts on the manicle linear, minute or Var. te^iella. 



B. Calyx winged or not. pedicels snb-alate or winged : — 



Calyx neither striate nor winged . 2. decurrens. 



Stem, pedicels and calyx distinctly winged 3. decugsafa. 



1. C. diffusa, Br. 



A pi-etty little plant 6-18" high, repeatedly dichotomously branched 

 or finally dichasially branched with very slender branchlets, a pair of 

 sessile broadly ovate leaves or bracts at each fork and small pink 

 flowers on capillary pedicels which are sometimes finely 4-angled. 

 Calyx •2--28", tube striate Avith setaceous teeth as long or nearly as 

 long as the corolla-tube. Limb of corolla •12-17" long. One stamen 

 conspicuously larger than the other three. 



On moist banks and wet rocks. Common in Chota Nagpur, all districts ! Angul, 

 JB. Chatta^'jee ! Proljably in all districts. FL, Fr. all the j^ear. 



Lower leaves oblong or oblong-oblanceolate, acute or shortly acuminate, "S-l'S" 

 long, 3-nerved a little above the narrow base, lowest shortly petioled. 



Yar. tenella, Clarice. Syn. C. tenella, WigM. 



This differs conspicuously in the narrow lanceolate leaves and the absence of the 

 large ovate bracts. It is distinguishable from the next species by the persistent 

 dichotomy, whereas C. decurrens is to a great extent 3-chotomous with the central 

 branch the strongest, the habit therefore less open; the pedicels of C. decurrens 

 are much coarser and sub-alate. 



2. C. decurrens, Balz. 



Erect 4-12", 2-3-chotomously branched above, branchlets less 

 slender, narrowly winged, bracts the same shape as the leaves or 

 upper svibulate. Flowers small, pink, on 4-ridged or sub-alate 

 pedicels. Calyx •2o-'28" long, not at all striate nor winged, some- 

 times slightly keeled at back of the teeth only, teeth short, rather 

 bluntly subulate, shorter than the corolla-tube. Limb of corolla '17" 

 long, one petal larger than the others and two connate rather higher 

 up forming a pseudo-lip ojjposite to the larger stamen. Stamens 

 subequal or one with only slightly longer filament. 



Bunds of rice-fields. Singbhum ! Fl., Fr. r.s. 



Lower leaves lanceolate "l-Vd" long, very acute or apiculate, 3-nerved, upper 

 narrowly lanceolate and passing into linear-subulate bracts. Capsule 2-valved to 

 base, linear-oblong, "IS" long. 



A verj- different plant to" the last, but of which Clarice {F.B.I.) writes, " very 

 doubtfully distinct from C. diffusa, var. tenella" ! Small specimens are sometimes 

 reduced to a single peduncle and flower. 



3. C. decussata, Roem. 4* Sch. Kalmeg, K. ; Sankhahuli, if. ; Dankuni, 



Beng. 

 An erect mostly 3-chotomously branched herb 6-15" high with 4- 

 winged stem branches and pedicels, lanceolate or oblong-lanc. sessile 



569 



