104. ACANTHACE^. [7. Asteracantha. 



Marshy places, Chota Nagpur, common. Singbhum ! Hazaribagh, Clarke ! 

 Manbhum, Anders. ! Fls. r.s.-Nov. Fr. Nov. -Dec, the old open capsules can be 

 found in Jan. 



4. H. quadrivalvis, Nees. 



Very similar to the last bvit the leaves often elliptic, or somewhat 

 obovate, bracteoles oblong obtuse, calyx in flower divided only one- 

 third of the way down, strigillose tipped with silky hairs, often not 

 deeply divided in fruit. Capsules erect in very dense clusters at 

 every node, many of which are then leafless, linear ■6-7", usually 

 stouter than in H. salicifolia. 



Marshes, Topchanchi (on borders of Manbhum and Hazaribagh), ir«r2 ! Many- 

 specimens from Bengal without precise locality I Possibly common, but often 

 confused with the last. Fl., Fr, same time as the last. 



Usually a rather coarse herb wnth 4-sided strigillose or glabrescent stems and 

 leaves often only 1-3", hairy above. Flowers variable in size, -o-"?" long, pale 

 purple. Capsules with 2 gland-like marks at the tip, as in other species but more 

 pronounced. 



5. H. phlomoides, Nees. 



An erect rather stout herb 2-3 ft. high with square more or less 

 pubescent or hairy stems, linear-oblong or -lanceolate sessile pubes- 

 cent leaves 3-6" long and deeply 2-lipped purple flowers "S" long in 

 very dense villous whorls. Calyx -b", brown-hairy, teeth linear as 

 long as the tube. 



Marshes. Sikkim Tarai and Duars close to our area ! Probably in Purneah. 

 Fl. Oct. 



Leaves with numerous slightly arched sec. n. as in the last two, but larger and 

 distinctly hairy beneath, outer bracts ovate, "5". One sepal often larger than the 

 others in fruit. Corolla-tube nearly as long as calyx, upper lip paler, shortly 

 2-lobed, lower broader, -25" diam., palate plicate, white with purple spots, hairy, 

 very shortly 3-lobed. Capsule equalling the calyx, slightly compressed, 10-12- 

 seeded. 



7. ASTERACANTHA, Nees. 

 Herb, spinous at the nodes with narrow pseudo-whorled leaves and 

 rather large whorled flowers with foliaceous bracts and narrow 

 bracteoles. Calyx 4-partite, upper sepal broader. Corolla with 

 upper 2-lobed lip and lower 3-lobed with 2 callosities on the palate. 

 Stamens 4, anther cells parallel, glabrous, muticous. Ovary with 

 only 4-5 ovviles in each cell. Capsule narrow compressed 4-8 -seeded. 

 Seeds hygroscopically hairy on hard retinacula. 

 t 



1. A. longifolia, Nees. Syn. Hygrophila spinosa, T. Anders. ; Kanta- 

 Kalia, H. ; Gokhvil janum, S. 



A robust, often gregarious, erect herb 2-4 ft. high with sparsely 

 subhispidly hairy stems, whorled spines often 1" long, long Avillow- 

 like leaves and dense spiny whorls of purple lipped flowers 1"25" 

 long. Capsule "3" linear-oblong, shorter than the sepals. 



Common along ditches and in marshes, probably in all districts. Fl., Fr. 

 Oct.-Dec. 



Leaves sessile, about 6" by -G-'T' or smaller, appearing whorled from the 

 shortened axillary branchlets. Spines usually 6 in a whorl and straw-colom-ed, 

 very sharp. Calyx silky, posterior sepal "75", lateral smaller, anterior 2-toothed. 

 Corolla-tube "o-'Q", lower lip "S-'G" broad with 3 large obtuse lobes, palate yellow 

 with 2 orange ridges. 



671 



