6. Htgrophila.] 104. ACANTHACE^. 



A. Prostrate or ascendinis: with small leaves and spiked flowers : — 



L. glabrous or puberulous. Posterior stamens rudimentary . 1. polysperma. 

 L. hairy. Posterior stamens with small anthers . . .2. serpyllum. 



B. Erect herbs with narrow leaves and flowers in axillary 



whorls : — 



1. Glabrous or neai-ly so : — 



Bracteoles lanceolate acute. Calyx divided half-way down 

 in flower, to base in fruit. Capsule "b-'bb" . , . .3. angusfifolia. 



Bracteoles oblong-, obtuse. Calyx divided one-third way 

 down in flower. Capsule -G-'To" 4. qnadrivalvis. 



2. Hairy or villous. L. narrow 4-6" 5. phlomoides. 



The first two species appear to me more distinct generically than is Asferacajitha 

 longifolia, which is very closely allied to H, phlomoides, and which I have only kept 

 separate in conformity with Nat. Pflanz. Fam. and the Flora of Bombay. 



1. H. polysperma, T. Anders. 



A herb with creeping stems sending up erect shoots 4-6" or some- 

 times 12" high, every shoot terminated by a spike '5-1" long of 

 elliptic or oblong hairy bracts and bracteoles, the upper bearing small 

 lilac or pink flowers. Leaves at the time of flowering often few, 

 linear-oblong, oblong or ovate, "S-'S" or in the larger forms up to 

 1*5". Capsule linear-oblong •25--35", 20-30-seeded. 



Very common and sub-greg-arious in wet places in the damper districts, especially 

 under river banks. Champaran ! Purneah ! Manbhum, Ball \ Behar, J.D.H. ! 

 Bengal (Santal Parg. ?), Kurz ! No doubt in other districts. Fl., Fr. Nov.-Feb. 



Stems terete or somewhat angled above, closely puberulous. L. subsessile^ 

 usually tapering both ends, puberulous or glabrous, sec. n. 3-4 very fine looped. 

 Bracts foliaceous '3" ciliate and jiuberulous, linear-oblong, tapering obtuse, brac- 

 teoles linear (lanceolate, F.B.I.), •2-*25", puliescent, 1-nerved. Calyx '2" villous, 

 lobes linear-subulate, 4 as long as the tube, posterior shorter. Corolla '3--32" 

 pubescent. Two upper stamens reduced to teeth ; anthers of perfect ones oblong 

 or sagittate. Ovary oblong. Capsule exceeding the sepals, mostly pubescent 

 towards the tip; retinacula nearly straight. 



2. H. serpyllum, T. Anders. 



A small procumbent herb not unlike H. polysperma in general 

 appearance, villous at the nodes. Leaves sometimes pseudo-verti- 

 cillate (from abbreviated axillary shoots) elliptic-ovate or lower 

 broadly ovate, 'G^rarelyl "long, upper lanceolate smaller, loosely pilose. 

 Spikes dense with elliptic bracts •2-'25". Flowers "4", corolla very 

 distinctly 2-lipped. Stamens with posterior anthers half as long as 

 anterior. Capsule •17--2", seeds 8-10. 



Behar, Kurz ! Sambalpur, Cal. Herb. ! Fl. Dec. 



Clarke states that the leaves of H. gerpylhcm vary very much in form and 

 indumentum. Possibly too much importance is attached to the character of the 

 anthers in these two species. 



3. H. augustifolia, B. Br. 



An erect or ascending rather strict herb 1-3 ft. high, glabrous 

 below, with long narrow linear or linear-lanceolate leaves 2*5-5" long, 

 minutely lineolate, tapering both ends, subsessile. Flowers pale 

 purple '5" in dense axillary whorls with linear or lanceolate acute 

 bracteoles and finely acuminate hispid-ciliate hairy-tipped sepals 

 connate half-way in flower, divided nearly to the base in fruit, •35--5*' 

 long. Corolla "5-7", tube shorter than the calyx. Anthers subequaL 

 Capsule linear •5-*55' long, somewhat compressed, 20-30-se8ded. 



670 



