104. ACANTHACEJE. [3. Nelsonia, 



2. ELYTRARIA, VaU. 

 (Tubiflora, Gmel., is the older name.) 

 Nearly stemless herbs with alternate crowded radical leaves and 

 small flowers in rigid slender spikes closely covered with spiral imbri- 

 cate bracts. Bracteoles smaller than the bracts. Calyx sub-4-partite, 

 segments \inequal. Corolla-tube linear, limb 2-lipped with 5 oblong 

 lobes imbricate in bnd. Stamens 2 perfect, cells 2, parallel sometimes 

 with a minute spur. Ovules 6-10 in each cell, superposed. Capsule 

 ellipsoid acute. Seeds minute, ovoid, reticulate and minutely 

 papillose, not on retinacula. 



1. £. crenata, Vahl. Syn. Tubiflora acaulis, 0. Kuntzc (the older 

 name). 

 Stem or stock very short, woolly. Leaves obovate or elliptic- 

 obovate 3-8' long crenate with rounded or obtuse tip, and narrowed 

 at base without any or very short petiole, villous or pubescent on the 

 nerves beneath. Scapes 5-10', clothed from the base with imbricate 

 aciuninate sub-aristate bracts, flowering part 1-3' with bracts more 

 ovate woolly on the margins. Corolla white or pale coloured •25-*3". 

 Capsule -25'. 



It probably occurs in Sambalpur, having been collected by me on dry banks in 

 Raipur (Central Provinces). Prain gives Chota Nagpur as a locality, but the sole 

 supposed record is a tiowerless and fruitless specimen of Fremva hei-hacea from 

 Hazaribagh, the rootstock and venation of which are quite different. There is a 

 specimen collected by Griffith marked "Bengal," but this may have been from the 

 (present) United Provinces. Fl,, Fr. Oct.-Dec 



Leaves with 4.-10 sec. n. according to size, never looped, reticulate near margin 

 and many branches entering the margin. 



3. NELSONIA, R. Br. 



Diffuse herb with opposite entire leaves and very small flowers in 

 ovoid or cylindrical spikes with closely imbricate bracts and no 

 bracteoles. Sepals 4 unequal. Corolla with slender tube inflated at 

 base then deeply constricted and 2-lipped limb with 5 spreading lobes. 

 Stamens 2, inserted above the middle of the tube, anther-cells more 

 or less divergent, or reflexed on a broad connective, sometimes- 

 minutely spurred. Ovules 8-10 in each cell. Capsule oblong, barren, 

 above. Seeds small, globose or broadly elliptic, not on retinacula. 



1. N. campestris, Br. 



A herb sometimes superficially resembling an Ajuga or Prunella^ 

 with fleshy sub-tuberous roots, large elliptic-oblong lower leaves 

 (sometimes absent), and pairs or one pair of smaller subsessile •5-2" 

 long on the special flowering branches. Flowers blue (purplish rose 

 or white, Clarke) or upper lip purple in ovoid or cylindric glandular 

 and villous spikes •75-2'5" long. Corolla, throat and palate with 

 curled villi. Capsule •25" narrowly conical. Seeds 5-1 in the lower 

 part of each cell, closely minutely granulate. 



Common in shadj- places, sometimes also on banks. SinglAum ! Ascends to 

 2500 ft. at Neterhat, Palamau and Ranchi ! Santal Pargauas. Probably in all 

 districts. FL, Fr. Nov. -March. 



667 



