104. ACANTHACE^. [21. Lepidagathis. 



1. L. Hamiltoniana, Wall. Agni-Kliair, M. 



A herb Avith a pei*ennial rootstock, erect or several diflfuse 4-angled 

 stems 6-18" high and linear leaves 2-4", or attaining 6" by "4", acute, 

 subsessile, nearly glabrous except the minutely scabrid-ciliate 

 margins. Flowers "5" long in very congested spikes forming prickly 

 cushions at the base of the plant. Bracts, bracteoles and sepals all 

 lanceolate acuminate and ending in a spine. Corolla '2" to the ven- 

 tricose part, nerved, lower lip nearly -5" diam. Avith the midlobe some- 

 what shovel-shaped. 



Common on dr.y slopes, banks, etc. Shahabad, J.B.H. ! Bhagulpur, Ham. ; 

 Chota Nagpnr, common! Angul, Chaftarjeel Sambalpur (under i/. cristata). 

 Griff. ! Probably in all districts of the Northern and Southern Areas. Fl. Dec- 

 Feb. 



Angles of stem usually much raised, sub-alate. nodes sometimes pilose. Leaves 

 with strong midrib and 4-7 very oblique sec. n. which run nearly parallel to margin 

 but except towards tip scarcely form an intramarginal nerve (as in trinervis). 

 Spikes 1-sided, their bases sheathed by ovate or lanceolate acuminate-spinescent 

 bracts. Bracteoles '37", membranous below, ciliate upwards ; sometimes a bracteole 

 bears a flower to which it becomes a bract and this flower is ebracteolate. Longer 

 sepal about "dl", ell. -oblong or -lanceolate acuminate-spinous, villous. Corolla 

 silkily-hairy. Capsule -26", narrowly conical or lanceolar in outline, glabrous, 

 acute, somewhat compressed, with the wider (compressed) sides membranous, the 

 other sides firm; enclosed in the somewhat enlarged fruiting sepals. 



Used in Chota Nagpur for the capture of evil spirits.— Jfet-. iS. L. Thompson. 



2. L. trinerYis, Islees. 



A herb with numerous tough stems 6-15" high from a very woody 

 rootstock. Leaves sessile linear, or Avhen small often oblong or 

 elliptic, •5-2-3" long. Flowers white in short ovoid often 1-sided 

 spikes •3-"5" long, axillary and often aggregated at the base of the 

 plant, with ovate or obovate or ovate-oblong spinose-cusjjidate bracts 

 •5-'75", the subsquarrose cusp as long or nearly as long as tlie blade. 

 Capsule '25". 



Shahabad ; Ehotas-ghar and summit of Kymore hills, J.D.H. ! Chota Nagpur, 

 teste Clarke, but the specimens referred to this in the Cal. Herh. are possibly 

 i. Hamiltoniana and I have seen no others from Chota Nagpur. The locality in 

 Wood's List is probably also on the strength of these specimens. Pathra Forest, 

 Gaya ! 



Although sometimes aggregated at the base of the plant the individual spikes are 

 distinct, not merged uniformly into a cushion as in Hamiltoniana, and there are 

 nearly always additional spikes on the branches. Leaves 3-nerved, much more 

 distinctly so than in L. Hamiltoniana ; those in the Gaya plant are eery distinctly 

 3-nerved Imt are up to 4" long, and as the plant was not in flower its determination 

 is somewhat doubtful, see. n. very inconspicuous, horizontal between the midrib 

 and the lateral nerves. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate, membranous. Calyx segments 

 not spinose. Corolla *3". 



3. L. purpuricaulis, Nees. 



A diffuse branched suffruticose herb Avith stems 2-3 ft. high, some- 

 times rooting at the loAver nodes. Leaves in each pair very unequal, 

 lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 2'5-4" long. FloAvers in 

 dense glandvilar spikes •5-7" long congested on small lateral branches 

 (peduncles) Avith oblong-lanceolate •3"-long acuminate strongly- 

 nerved gland-hairy bracts. Corolla •3--4" tubular beloAv then some- 

 Avhat ventricose, upper lip rounded notched, loAver lip spreading 

 deeply 3 -fid, longer, white spotted purple, hairy outside. Stamens 



687 



