13 



PLATE 216. 



JUSTICIA PROCTEACTA, T. And. (in Journ. Linn. Soc. vii. (1864) 41). 

 Natural Order, ACANTHACE.E. 



A small undershrub 6-18 inches high. Stems erect from a woody root, 

 branching, strongly ribbed, hispid with scattered whitish hairs, green. Leaves 

 petiolate, exstipulate, opposite, decussate, in false whorls, one large leaf on each 

 side, with 1-3 smaller ones in the axils; ovate to oblong-ovate, obtuse at each end 

 or emarginate at apex, margins entire, finely hispid-pubescent on both surfaces, 

 reaching to l inch long by ^-f inch wide. Flowers axillary, 1-3 together, 

 shorter than leaves. Bracts lanceolate, erect, minute. Calyx ^-lobed, lobes 

 lanceolate-acuminate, pubescent, erect, green, 1 |-2 lines long. Corolla pubescent ex- 

 ternally, glabrous within, bilabiate, tube laterally compressed, widening to throat, a 

 little longer than calyx lobes, ribbed, pubescent; lower lobe broadly ovate, 3-fid at 

 apex, the teeth rounded, strongly reflexed, white with lilac markings in centre 

 towards the base ; upper lobe erect, minutely 2-fid at apex, white, brown lined. 

 Stamens 2, on tube of corolla near throat, filaments short, curved; anther cells 

 superposed, the lower one spurred. Ovary 2-celled, cells 2-ovuled. Capsule 

 laterally compressed at base, acute at apex, tapering to base, subtended by the 

 persistent calyx, pilose, 24 seeded. Seeds muricate. 



Habitat : NATAL : Coast to midlands in open ground. Inanda, December, 

 Wood No. 718. 



Drawn and described from specimens gathered near Durban, March, 1900. 



This genus contains 100 or more species, widely spread in warm regions of 

 the world. In South Africa we have about 1 6 species, of which 6 or 8 are found in 

 Natal. None of the species have any economic value, but some of them are rather 

 ornamental. For the present species the natives have no distinguishing name, nor 

 do they put it to any use so far as known to us. 



Fig. 1, a flower ; 2, same, corolla removed ; 3, corolla opened out, showing 

 stamens ; 4, capsule ; 5, section of same ; all enlarged. 



