31. Andrographis.] 104. ACANTHACE^. 



Corolla '3-5", tube half as long as whole corolla, or little less. 

 Anthers purple. Capsule 'l-S", very sparsely gland-hairy, finally 

 glabrous. 



Common, especially on cleared stony lines in the forests. Patna, T.T.I Mon- 

 ghyr Hills, Cat. Herb. ! Chota NHgpur, all districts, frequent ! Santal Parganas t 

 Angul ! Sambalpur ! Probably in all the districts in Central and Southern Areas. 

 FL, Fr. Sept.-May. 



L. pale beneath" microscopically punctulate and sometimes minutelj' puberulous,. 

 sessile or subsessile, sec. n. 2-3 exceedinglj- slender. Racemes divaricate, 2-4" long 

 with acicular bracts under "1". Posterior lip often appearing the lower, entire or 

 minutely 2-toothed, anterior lip often erect and 3-lobed half-way down. Filaments 

 very hairy. Seeds subquadrate, rugose. 



In a form collected in the Santal Parganas the stems are narrowly sub-alate, 

 reaves under IS", pedicels all under 'l" and capsule only -5" long. 



The whole plant is very bitter and a decoction is used in fever and an extract as 

 a medicine for the liver. Campbell says it is also given in diarrhoea, convulsions 

 and epilepsy by the Santals. Its use is very general. 



2. A. echioides, Nees. Bir-kubet, .S. 

 An erect symmetrical herb S"-2 ft. high with pubescent stems, 



sessile oblong rounded or obtuse leaves 1-5-3-5" long pubescent or 

 hairy both sides and pale, purple spotted, floAvers '^-Qo'' long, sessile 

 erect on divaricate simple or branched racemes from all the axils, the 

 whole forming sometimes a large pyramidal but leafy panicle, but 

 in early stages only lower leaves bearing racemes. Capsula 

 ellipsoid-oblong, compressed, •3--4", slightly hairy, sharp both ends. 



Behar, Hope ! Throughout Chota Nagpur, in similar localities to A, paniculata I 

 Sambalpur, Griff \ Probably throughout the area and common, but not always 

 recorded. Fl., Fr. Julj'-Jan'. 



Stems 4-angular. Branches sometimes villous with long white hairs. Leaves 

 with usually broad rounded base, rarely some with cuneate base, sec. n. 5-7. 

 Racemes ultimately exceeding the leaves, glandular-hairy, bracts minute. Lowest 

 flowers sometimes shortly pedicelled but with pedicels shorter than the calyx,, 

 sepals glandular-hairy, linear, •2--3" or sometimes '-4'' in fruit. Corolla like that of 

 A. paniculata. Filaments thinly hairy, anthers dark-purple, densely white-bearded. 

 Seeds somewhat oblong, rugose. 



3. A. elongata, T. Anders. 



A straggling herb 3 ft. long, with glabrous 4-angled stems 2-4 ft. 

 long, ovate to lanceolate acute or obtuse leaves 6-1" long (or lower 

 longer), glabrous, or abov^e very minutely puberulous ; and irregular 

 lax branched racemes of 2-lipped flowers •3-"4" long and as broad. 

 Pedicels shorter than the •1--12" long glandular-pubescent calyx. 

 Corolla with very short tube, posterior lip deeply 2-lobed, anterior 

 deeply 3-lobed. Filaments dilated glabrous purple "5" long, anthers- 

 not or very slightly hairy. Capsule linear 'G-'T" by "09'' thinly 

 glandular puberulous, 12-18-seeded. 



Scrub jungles near the sea. Puri, in the south ! Fl., Fr. March-April. 



Angles of stem sub-alate or beaded. Leaves paler beneath with 2-3 sec. n. Petiole 

 ■l-'2" (those of fallen lower leaves were perhaps longer H). Racemes elongating to 

 6", rhachis glabrous. Bracts mostly under 1" subulate or setaceous and usually a 

 pair of smaller bracteoles at base of pedicel. Sepals narrowlj- subulate. Corolla- 

 ttibe only •l-'2" long, broad at base, pubescent, lobes *25-"3" oblong 3-nerved. 

 Stamens exserted, occasionally 4 (in same plant with 2-staminate floweis). Ovary 

 pubescent, style hairy, stigma simple or minutely lobed. Seeds pale brown or 

 yellow, somewhat shapeless, rugose, glabrous. The retinacula dilated at the ends. 



Identified somewhat doubtfully with A. elougatn, but the corolla-tube is shorter 

 and the specimens of A. elongufa do not appear to be glandular. 



700 



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