16. Barlebia.] 104. ACANTHACE^. 



spine-tipped (acuminate, Clarke), outer ell.-oblong, inner linear. 

 Capsule •5--7'', with a solid beak. Seed one only, near the base of 

 each cell. 



Not common and doubtfully indigenous in the Northern and Central Areas more 

 frequent in the Southern Area. Moughyr Hills, Xurz ! Gangpur, neai- the Brahmini 

 River' Santal Parg., near villages ! Manbhum, near villages! Pun, frequent, 

 on rocky ground near the Chilka Lake ! Sambalpur, Griff. ! Often seen in gardens. 



Shoots and young leaves pubescent and strigose. Leaves sometimes 2 broad m 

 vigorous plants ; in dry situations these are deciduous and those on the shoots are 

 usually oblong-lanceolate and the whole plant dwarfer and more prickly witli 

 flowers chiefly axillary (as described for B. cuspidufa, Heyne), lower leaves witn 

 petioles -5-1" or those on the secondary shoots subsessile, mature sometimes strigose 

 on the nerves, minutely punctulate both sides, obscurely Imeolate. Corolla 1-1 5 , 

 pubescent outside (glabrous or puberulous, C/arA-e) i, . • fl^,.oo 



True thorns occur in this plant, being metamor])hosed axillary shoots or inttoies- 

 cences with decussate spines instead of leaves or bracts. Descriptions by ditterent 

 authors of the bracts, liracteoles and sepals vary widely, but these seem to depend 

 much on the luxuriance and position in the inflorescence : a bract may bear a single 

 flower or a small inflorescence, and sometimes a bracteole, even, will bear a nne 

 axillary thorn. 



2. B. lupulina, Lindl. 



A thorny shrub 2-4 ft. high with glossy linear or lanceolate 

 niucronate red-veined leaves 4-5" long and yellow flowers in dense 

 strobiliform spikes with imbricate suborbicular mucronate bracts 

 which are iisually coloiued brown. 



Often grown in gardens, where, if closely clipped, it forms a small hedge or 

 edging. Fl. most of the year. 



3. B. strigosa, Willd. Raila-baha, S. ; T>'^'&\, Beng . ; Banmalli, Or. 

 An undershrub 2-4 ft. high with large ovate acuminate leaves 4-8" 



long decurrent on the petiole and large handsome azure blue flowers 

 2" long and IS" wide in dense bracteolate secund spikes. ^ Two larger 

 sepals°imbricate in a row on the upper side of the spike and the 

 bracteoles in two lateral rows. Capsule '75'', 4-seeded. 



In moist shadv places. Probably in all the forest districts. Purneah ! Gaya 

 Ghats ! Singhbiim ! Bonai ! Puri, Lace ! Sambalpur ! Kalahandi ! Fl. Sept.- 

 Nov. Fr. Feb.-May. . ^ , ^ . . 



Branches fulvoussirigose. Lea%^es up to 2-5" in width, acute or acuminate, 

 strigose on the nerves beneath, lineolate above. Petiole 0-2" long, Spikes 1-3 . 

 Bracteoles often recurved •4--7" lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate. Outer sepals 

 ciliate 1-1'2". Corolla 2-lipped, lobes -Q-'lb". 



4. B. montana, Nees. 



A handsome undershrub 3-4 ft. high with long erect branches from 

 the root, ovate -lanceolate or lanceolate sub -acuminate leaves 5-6" 

 long below, smaller upwards, glabrous, pale-glaucous beneath, sessile 

 or very shortly petioled. Flowers rose-coloured, axillary and in dense 

 terminal spikes 3-8" long with foliaceous bracts and linear bracteoles 

 •25-1" long. Oviter sepals •75-1-2", ovate entire, glabrous or nearly 

 so. Corolla nearly 2" long and 1-5" broad. Capsule 1". Seeds 4, 

 with wavy silky yellowish hair, -25" diam. 



Along valleys and shady sides of hills. Rare in our area. Behar, Kur% ! Prob- 

 ably from the western hills. J*Iy own specimens are from the Central Provinces. 

 Fl. Oct.-Nov. Fr. Jan. 



682 



