ACANTHACEiE. (ACANTHUS FAMILY.) 607 



limb short, cup-shaped at base, 3-5-lobed at apex. Stamens shorter 

 than lip, inserted at its base, filaments thickened, incurved, the 

 posterior produced to a point beyond the insertion of the anther ; an- 

 thers connivent in pairs, ciliate, 1-celled. Style bifid at tip. Capsule 

 4- or by abortion 2-seeded — Perennial herbs with aspect of Morina. 



B. ecluli§, Forsk. 2f ShauTc-ed-Dibl). .3 to .4, minutely roughen- 

 ed and ciliated, glaucous, the neck bearing 1-several, 1-3-branched, 

 thickened stems. Root-leaves soon disappearing, entire, with spiny 

 margins, those of branches at base of spikes oblong to lanceolate, 

 spiny-dentate. Spikes at length elongated, 4-ranked, the terminal ses- 

 sile, the lateral short-peduncled ; bract indurated, lanceolate, pro- 

 minently nerved and grooved, spreading, with 3-5 lateral spines on 

 each side, and a long-spiny tip, longer than flowers ; bracteoles shorter, 

 linear-subulate, villous ; outer calyx-lobes oblong, the upper longer, 

 3-dentate, the lower 2-dentate, the lateral one-foiu:th their length, ob- 

 long ; corolla bluish, 3-lobed, with a small tooth on each side; capsule 

 flattened-ovate, tapering, .01 long -— Si3ring — Valleys about Dead 

 Sea, and southward to Sinai and Egypt. 



Fig. 271. Fig. 272. 



Calyx of B. edulis. Corolla and stamens of B. edulis. 



2. ACA^THC§5 L. Acanthus. Shauk-el-Jamdl. 



Calyx 4-parted, the uppier and lower sepals exterior, broad, elon- 

 gated, veined, the lateral interior, small, obovate or orbicular. Corolla- 

 tube annular, short, cartilaginous, limb tapering at base, split above, 

 expanded into a broad, obovate, flat, 3-lobed limb. Stamens inserted 

 at throat, filaments thick, rigid, somewhat incurved at tip ; anthers 1- 

 celled, bearded lengthwise. Style short-bifid. Capsule 2-celled, ob- 

 long, coriaceous, glossy, 4-seeded from base to middle — Perennial 

 herbs, with aspect of Morina, the flowers in a dense, thick, spiny- 

 bracted spike. 



A, Syriacns, Boiss. If Mar ^awila. Mis. Shauh-el-Jamal. .5 to 

 1, puberulent ; stem little produced beyond leaves. Root-leaves large, 

 oblong-lanceolate, tapering at base to a short petiole, pinnatisect or 

 -parted into lanceolate, spiny-margined or -lobulated lobes confluent at 

 base ; stem-leaves usually one pair, sessile. Spike ovate-cylindrical, 

 compact ; bract broad, coriaceous, prominently nerved and reticulate, 

 ovate-oblong, ciliate at margin, glabrescent at back, with 4-6 spines 

 at each edge and a tapering spiny tip about as long as flower ; bract- 

 eoles shorter, narrow-linear, hirtulous, spinulose at apex ; outer sepals 

 herbaceous, the upper oblong-spathulate, longer than corolla, minute- 

 ly repand-toothed at tip, the lower narrower and shorter, linear, dilat- 



