140. ERIOCAULACEjE. [1. Eriocaulon. 



reflexed, oblong-oblanceolate or broadly obcuneate. Floral bracts 

 hyaline, -6- -08" long, broadly obcuneate, shortly pubescent in upper 

 half, suddenly cuspidate, cusp triangular sometimes almost aristulate 

 at tip ciliolate. 



The commonest of our species, specimens collected or seen hy me from nearly 

 all districts ! and no doubt occurring tluoughout the province. In swamps and 

 paddy fields. Fl., Fr. Nov., Oct.-Feb. 



Leaves opaque or sub-translucent, often bright red when dry. Some of my 

 specimens have over 100 heads. Peduncle without conspicuous tubes wthin ; 

 sheath short acute with membranous tip. M. tl. subsessile, sep. linear-oblanceo- 

 late, shortly hairy at the obtuse tip, only about half as long as bract ; cor. long- 

 stipitate, one petal much larger than others, but scarcely protruded beyond the 

 bract, stamens 6. Fem. fl. shortly pedicelled or subsessile, sep. narrowly linear- 

 clavate, hairy in upper half, pet. nearly as long on slender stipes and with filiform 

 base, sparsely hairy, and each with a black gland, style very short, stigmas slender. 

 Capsule -2" diam. Seeds yellow, only -01" long, broadly ellipsoid, appearing 

 transversely lineate rmder high magnification (20 diam.), and sometimes with 

 longitudinal lines or microscopically hispidulous (usually described as smooth and 

 not ridged), hilum prominent. 



6. E. collinum, Hook. f. 



Rather robust attaining 12-15", with subulate leaves l'5-2-o" 

 long. Peduncles often flexuous. Heads •25-- 3" diam. white. 

 Invol. bracts, outermost narrow-oblong reflexed, next orbicular-oblong 

 rounded dark-grey, glistening, spreading, concealed by the head, 

 glabrous or nearly so, minutely irregularly toothed or entire. Floral 

 bracts narrowly obcuneate with acute triangular tip, •OS--!" long, 

 tip incurved and densely covered with short w'hite stout hairs, base 

 villous. Male fl. : • 1" long with the pedicel, villous at base. Sepals 

 connate about half the length of the flower or more but easily separable 

 and sometimes 3 distinct, obcuneate, rounded, dark-grey, ciliolate 

 with papillose hairs, -05" long, corolla-tube stipitate funnel-shaped, 

 petals 3 white, one nearly twice as long as the others, the other 2 often 

 reduced to a slender very hairy axis (but in some fls. subequal), all 

 petals wdth a black gland. Fem. fl. : Sep. linear, 2 somewhat cymbi- 

 form, -08- -09" long, grey with few^ Avhite hairs. Petals as long, more 

 narrowly linear with very narrow base, hairy in upper half. Seeds 

 • 02" long, ellipsoid, amber-j'ellow^ minutely transversel}^ white-striate 

 and wdth few (about 6) whitish longitudinal striaB. 



Neterhat, elev. 3000 ft. near streams ! FL, Fr. May. 



I have described ova plant only without generalizing from other specimens as 

 this is a marked extension of the hitherto known distribution. I have, however, 

 collected similar plants on the Central Provinces plateaux. 



L. gradually tapering from base to apex, often conspicuously fenestrate on the 

 back with 7-9 rows of cells. Peduncles about 7-angled. Invol. bracts 2-3-seriate 

 the outermost much narrower than the 1-2-seriate inner. Receptacle and base 

 of flowers with long delicate villi. The transverse strlations on the seeds are easily 

 seen with a mag. of 10 diam. 



7. E. oryzetorum, Mart. 



Usually stout 7-16" high with leaves 1-5-3" long by about -2" at 

 base, spongy, many-nerved, tapering from base to apex or linear 

 obtuse, usually very fenestrate at the base when dry. Heads globose 

 elongating to oblong-ovoid, not at all white, but pale broAvn when dry, 

 said to be yellow when fresh, externally glabrous and somewhat 



1069 



