104. ACANTHACE.^. [24. Justicia. 



5. J. peploides, T. Anders. Syn. J. quinqvieang-ularis, var. peploides, 



Clarke ; Matliom-ara, S. 



Very diifusely branched from near the base with numerons spread- 

 ing 4-5-sided branches 3-6" or sometimes 15" long. Leaves broadly 

 elliptic or broadly oblong with rounded tip and base suddenly con- 

 tracted, rarely oblanceolate, -d-r'S" long and up to -75" broad. 

 Petiole slender "2-3" long. Spikes shorter than in last and often 

 subovate when young, but attaining I'S" with usually the lowest 

 pair or pairs of flowers axillary. Bracts linear or linear-spathiilate 

 Avith rounded tips and scarious margins, bracteoles 'IT-" 18" long, 

 similar but more slender, sepals as in last, sometimes only "12" in 

 flower and svibobtuse. Capsule •2o-S" elliptic-oblong mucronate 

 glabrous. 



Purneah, -£"«>•;:! Santal Par., ir«/-~ ! 'SLonghyr, Cal. Herb, I Plains of Behar, 

 J. DM. ! Fl.. Fr. Aug-.-Oct. 



Clarke is probably right in considerinor this only a vai'iety of the last, but owing 

 to the habit and different- shaped leaves it is easily recogni.sed. 



6. J. diffusa, Tnild. 



A herb 6-15" with more or less 4-angled and grooved stems strigose 

 with reflex hairs, elliptic, narrowiy-ell., or ovate-lanceolate leaves 

 not exceeding 25" by "S" (often much smaller), very lineolate both 

 sides, and very slender spikes 2-4" long and •1-'15" wide (in flower), 

 of small pinkish or Avhite flowers, the bracts towards base somewhat 

 distant and shorter than the sepals, hispidly-hairy. Bracts, bracteoles 

 and sepals membranous with green midrib. Capsule glabrovis or 

 hairy oblong -IS"-' 2''' with very short solid base. In fruit the spikes 

 are someAvhat wider owing to the op 3ning of the capsules and spread- 

 ing of the bracts and sepals, but they are always more slender, less 

 dense, and with the hairs on the inflorescence less spreading and 

 shorter than in J. simplex. 



Monghyr, Ham., Kiirz ! Rajmahal Hills, Kurzl Singbhum, frequent ! Hazari- 

 bagh, Clarke] Ranchi Ghats, Gamble, Wood'. Sambalpur, Griff. ! Ganjam (just 

 outside our area), Cal. Serb. ! Probably therefore throughout the province. Fl., 

 Fr. June- Jan. 



Leaves glabrous or with scattered hairs along the nerves, or sub-hispidly hairy 

 beneath, sec. n. 6-8. Petiole •25-'3". Bracts linear-lanceolate or linear or some- 

 times (in same spike) ovate with a long acumen, sometimes only one-third to one- 

 half as long as the sepals, rarely thi'ee-fourths, ciliate and sometimes also pubes- 

 cent. Bracteoles subsimilar to bract. Calyx •2-'25" long, sepals 4 linear or shorter 

 in upper part of spike and relatively shorter to bracts. Corolla •2o-*3", white, 

 .spotted pink, hairy. 



Var. orbiculata, Clarke. Syn. J. orbieulata. Wall. 



Leaves broadly ovate 'S-l", petioled, hairy, especially beneath. 



Parasnath, Cal. Herb. ! Manbhum, Thorns. ! Fl. Nov. 

 Var. Yahlii, Clarice. 



L. narrowly lanceolate or linear, bracts lanceolate white- margined, 

 sepals lanceolate subacute Avith minutely scabrous tijDS. 



Chota Nagpur, common, Clarke. 



7. J. simplex, Don. 



A herb of rather lax but erect growth 8" to 2-5 ft. high Avith angular 

 and grooved hairy stems swollen above the nodes, elliptic or elliptic- 



693 



