106. LABIAT.E. 



capsule, dehiscing by 2 valves. Seed 1. Embryo with plicate 

 cotyledons and hairy radicle. 



Shrub or small tree. Leaves acute or acuminate. Capsule less than 

 1 ong-. Stamens included. Style short or ... . i alba 



Small tree. Leaves very obtuse. Stamens included.CapsuIe 1" or 

 more. Style long 2. officinalis. 



1. A. alba, Blume. Bani, Or. ; Safed Bani (the tree form). Or. 



A large shrub or a tree up to 3 ft. girth, with lanceolate leaves, 

 white beneath, 2-3" or up to 5o" long, acute (tree) or long acuminate 

 <shrub). Flowers yellow -2" diam. in contracted cymose panicles 1-2" 

 long. Sepals nearly free, ell.-oblong to obovate, rounded, -1-12'. 

 Corolla -IS" long, pubescent outside, tube half as long as the ovate- 

 lanceolate lobes. Stamens shorter than the corolla-lobes Ovary 

 oblong, woolly at the tip, style 0, stigma of 2 triangiUar lobes. Youno- 

 fruit lanceolar, -75" long, tomentose. '^ 



Tidal forests of the Mahanadi delta ! Fl. May. Fr Auo- -Sept 

 The tree form looks to me a distinct species, but I have'i^ot found it in flower (in 

 Itself significant as the shrub was in flower), the leaves are more elliptic not long- 

 acuminate, often only acute, the petioles less markedly articulate at base. ThI 

 bark IS white with white blaze as in next. 



2. A. officinalis, L. Kala Bani, Or. 



A large tree with oblong or elliptic or obovate leaves with very 

 rounded tip 2-5" long, white beneath, base acute or subobtuse, midrib 

 dark, sec. n. fine rather irregular, 7-10, very reticulate between, laro-e 

 glands sometimes at the apex of petiole, petiole •4--8" long. Flowers 

 yellow in axillary and terminal peduncled 3-chotomous panicles 

 2-3-5" long, in bud with numerous imbricating bracts, which are 

 elliptic rounded and white ciliate but glabrous and shinino- on back 

 m strong contrast to the white branches of the panicde Fruit 

 opaque green, wrinkled, especially at the base, ovoid, 1-3" lono- with 

 large fleshy cotyledons. Hypocotyl densely fulvous hairy. 



In the mangrove swamps of the Mahanadi delta, common ! Fl. June-July Fr 

 hair' ^^'"^^^ germinates on the tree in August ; the hypocotyl densely fulvous- 



Bark smooth pale grey. Blaze very white. Shoots white-tomentose. The leaves 

 less white beneath than in A. alba, with which however no confusion is possible. 



FAM. 106. LABIATiE. 



Herbs or undershrubs, rarely shrubs, usually with sweet or aromatic 

 smell due to ethereal oils, Avhich are secreted in several different forms 

 of glandular hairs often sunk in small pits in the epidermis and in the 

 leaf often giving rise to translucent dots. Stems very often 4-ano-u]ar 

 or 4-sided (with rounded corners). Leaves opposite and decussa1;e or 

 sometimes Avhorled, simple or very rarely pinnatisect (Lavandula) 

 exstipulate. Flowers more or less zygomorphic, often evidently 

 2-lipped, often small, solitary or in contracted cymes in the axils of 

 leaves or bracts forming false " ^vhorls," which sometimes are crowded 

 into heads or spikes, rarely cymes effuse. Calyx more or less tubular 

 persistent. Corolla with tubular base and 4-5 subequal lobes or 2- 

 iipped, lobes imbricate in bud. Stamens inserted in the corolla-tube, 



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