98. SCROPHULARIACEJE. [23. Alectra. 



3. S. trifida, Ham., with lineai' or filiform mostly fascicled and 3-sect. leaves 

 *5-*8" long, and yellow flowers with sub-rotate corolla, is found on Mahendragiri 

 in Gan jam and is' likely to occur on Meghasani at the end of the rainy season. The 

 calyx is woolly within, teeth very short triangular. 



23. ALECTRA, Thunb. 



Erect, rig'id, usually scabrid herbs, black when dry. Leaves 

 opposite or the upper alternate, toothed, or reduced to scales. 

 Flowers in terminal spikes or racemes, bracteate and bracteolate, 

 yellow or streaked with red or brown. Calyx campanulate, 5- 

 toothed or -fid, valvate, or open in bud. Corolla with broad tube 

 and oblique limb, Avith 5 spreading lobes, the lower outer in bud. 

 Stamens 4, didynamoiis ; anthers touching in pairs, cells parallel, 

 bases mucronate. Style long inflexed, stigma elongate linguiform. 

 Capsule subglobose, loculicidal, with entire or 2-fid valves. Seeds 

 very numerous minute, linear with very lax reticulate testa and 

 small nucleus. 



Leaves ovate to lanceolate toothed. Flowers sessile . . . .1. ivdicu. 

 Leaves scale-like. Flowers racemose 2, Thomsoui, 



1. A. indica, Benth. 



An erect scaberulous simple or branched herb 8-15" high, Avith 

 ovate, oblong or lanceolate sharply dentate leaves 'o-l-S" long, and 

 yelloAv floAvers in rather close terminal spikes, or lower axillary and 

 very shortly pedicelled. Calyx broadly campanulate, •25", green, 

 sparingly hairy, Avith 5 ovate very acuminate lobes. Corolla rather 

 longer, almost ribbed. Anthers yelloAv. 



Singbhum and Palamau, eleA'. 3000 ft., wet places am.oug grass ! Parasnath, 

 various collectors ! Fl., Fr. Oct.-NoA-. 



The plant somewhat reminds one of the English Yellow-rattle. Leaves hispidu- 

 lous above, Avith cuneate base and 1-2 sec. n, from close to base hispidulous. 

 Petiole short or 0. Bracteoles acicular. Capsule shorter than the calyx, subglobose, 

 4-lobed. Seeds linear, nucleus ver^' small iu the centre of the transparent sausage- 

 shaped testa. 



2. A. Thomsoni, Hoolc f. 



An erect almost leafless herb 4—20" high, often Avith several erect 

 branches from near the base. Stems pubescent Avith scattered small 

 green or purple leaves or scales mostly under 25" long, minutely 

 toothed. Bracts mostly alternate. Pedicels short, •2--5" long, or in 

 some plants hardly any. Calyx strongly 10-nerved, '2" in flower, 

 subglobose in fruit and "3" long Avith triangular teeth. Corolla 

 •25-*3" lobed about half-Avay down, yelloAv^, with 15 red nerA-^es. 

 Filaments hairy above, anthers purple. Stigma large oblong-clavate 

 recurved green. Capsvile 2-4-A"alved ovoid "3". Seeds Avith loose 

 striate testa (in my specimens Avhen fresh), as in A. indica, but more 

 minute and elongate- cuneiform {Hook. /.). 



In a Avet gully, Singbhum, C/flrA:e ! Gamble \ Rajmahal Hills, ir«;'z! Parasnath» 

 T.T., Kurz ! My specimens Avere collected in the Vindhyhan Hills but in the C.P. 

 FL, Fr. Oct.-Jan. 



The plant has the appearance of a parasite and like several others of the familj' 

 may be parasitic on roots, apparently' of Acanthaceous shrubs, but it is not always, 

 easy to establish the connection. 



639 



