220 Lxx. EUBiACEiE (hiebn). \_Geophila, 



G4. GEOPHILA, D. Don ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. ii. p. 127. 



Calyx-tube small, campannlate ; limb 4-6-toothed or -partite, 

 often irregular, persistent. Corolla membranous, funnel-shaped, 

 longer than the calyx ; throat densely bearded ; limb usually 5-partite, 

 spreading, lobes ovate, valvate in aestivation. Stamens usually 5, 

 inserted at the throat of the corolla, exserted or included ; anthers 

 linear, dorsifixed above the base ; filaments slender. Disk elevated, 

 glabrous. Ovary 2-celled ; style slender, with 2 branches, included or 

 exserted ; ovules solitary, erect ; placentas inconspicuous. Fruit fleshy, 

 pisiform, costate or smooth ; pyrenes 2, crustaceous, 1-seeded. Seeds 

 with horny albumen ; embryo minute, radicle inferior. — Small slender 

 creeping rooting perennial herbs with opposite cordate petiolate leaves, 

 interpetiolar entire or cleft stipules, and small terminal or lateral flowers 

 bracteate at the base or enclosed a few together in cnp-shaped or hemi- 

 spherical involucres. 



A genus of a few species scattered over the tropics ; absent from Australia. 

 Flowers bracteate at the base but not enclosed in cup-shaped 

 involucres. 

 Peduncles bearing more than 1 flower. 



Grlabrous or somewhat pubescent. Peduncles 2-3- 

 flowered, §-li in. long. Leaves reniform or nearly 



orbicular , 1. G. reniformis. 



Hirsute. Peduncles bearing several flowers, very ab- 

 breviated. Leaves ovate or oval 2. G. hirsuta. 



Peduncles 1 -flowered. 



Peduncles lateral from the prostrate stems. Stipules 



lanceolate, bipartite Z. G. landstipula. 



Peduncles terminating short erect leaf-bearing branches. 



Stipules ovate or rounded, entire ^. G. uniflora. 



Flowers enclosed in cup-shaped or hemispherical involucres. 

 Calyx-lobes subulate. 



Stipules bifid. Involucres shortly pubescent. Flowers 



bracteolate b. G, Afzelii. 



Stipules entire. Involucres glabrous. Flowers ebrac- 



teolate 6. (r. ohvallata. 



Calyx-segments obovate .... * T. G, involucrata. 



1. G. reniformis (?), D. Dm, Prodr. Fl. Nepal, p. 136. Stems 

 glabrous or puberulous. Leaves reniform or nearly orbicular, rounded 

 or nearly so or retuse at the apex, deeply cordate at the base, glabrous 

 or nearly so, more or less chartaceous, 1-2 in. long, rather paler be- 

 neath ; petiole ranging from 1 to 4 in. long, shortly hairy ; stipules 

 ovate, all or mostly bipartite or geminate ?, about -^^ in. long, glabrous. 

 Flowers 2 or few together, lateral ones sessile or subsessile ; common 

 peduncle solitary, glabrous or nearly so, terminating short erect leaf- 

 bearing branches, f-lj in. long ; bracts subulate-setaceous from a broad 

 base, ^-\ in. long. Calyx \ in. long ; segments 5, subulate-setaceous. 

 —Benth. in Hook. Niger Fl. p. 422. 



Upper Guinea. On the Nun Eiver, Th. Vogel ! Island of St. Thomas, G.Don! 

 ? Niger Expedition, at Brass (leafy stem without flowers), Barter! 



Difters from the American and from most Indian specimens, that have been re- 

 ferred to this species, by the divided stipules ; it may constitute a separate species. 



