200 



XCVIII. ACANTHACE.E (cLARKE). 



[JJicHptera. 



58. DICLIPTERA, Juss. ; Benth. et Hook. f. (^en. PI. ii. 1120. 



Sepals T), equal, small, linear, pubescent, hardly united at the base. 

 Corolla rose-purple to white, deeply 2-lipped ; tube not or slightly 

 inflated ; anticous lip o-fid, without in the bud : posticous lip entire or 

 emarginate. Stamens 2 ; anther-cells 2, one above the other, muticous ; 

 pollen ellipsoid, smooth, with o (or 2) bands and stopples. Ovules 2 in 

 each cell ; style with 2 subeqiial very short lobes. Capsule small, 

 ovoid, sessile or very shortly compressed, 4- or 2-peeded; placentae 

 arising elastically from the base of the capsule-valves ; seeds discoid, 

 dotted with glochidiitte tubercles, sometimes elongate, sometimes short- 

 ened to warts or obsolete. — Herbs. Leaves entire. Spikelets 2-1- 

 (rarely 3-) flowered, in heads or scattered ; bracts to the two flowers 

 subopposite, enclosing the calyx, from linear to ovate ; bracteoles 2 to 

 each flower, lanceolate, shorter than the bract, longer than the calyx. 

 Species 60 ; in the tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres. 

 This genus is grounded on the elastically rising placentae j and in rouch of the 

 material without ripe capsules, the plants are put in Dicliptera by inference. When 

 Bentham (in Benth, et Hook. f. Gen. PI. ii. 1121) states the bracts and sepals to be 

 sometimes united, it must be recollected that many of the specimens which passed 

 through his hands as Dicliptera were really Hypoestes', in which genus the structure 

 of the spikelet is exactly as that of Dicliptera 



*Bracts to the spikelet linear or narrow-lanceolate, not 

 widened upwards. 

 Branches with prickles on the angles . . . \. D. aculeata. 



Branches without prickles, hairy . . . . '1. D. Carvalhoi. 



Branches without prickles, glabrous . . . 3. J>. lingnlaia. 



**Bracts to the spikelet wider, ovate or obovate or 

 obovate-lanceolate. 

 Spikelets solitary or laxly approximated. 



Axillary peduncles long ; pedicels mostly long . -1. D. maculata. 



Cymes short, forming axillary clusters . . .5. D. laxata. 



Spikelets alternate on a zigzag spike 

 Spikelets densely clustered in ovoid heads. 



Bracts to the spikelet broad, ovate or round obovate. 



Corolla exceeding 1 in. in length . . . 1 . D. 



Corolla about ■, in. long . . . . . 8. 2). 



Bracts to the spikelet oblong or lanceolate, wider at 

 the top. 

 Heads of spikelets many axillary. 

 Bracts of spikelets green, hairy. 

 Leaves narrowed at the base. 

 Heads of spikelets very dense . 

 Heads of spikelets loose . 

 Leaves cordate 

 Bracts glabrescent 

 Bracts brown, more or less purplish 

 Bracts whitish, green-nerved 

 Heads of spikelets mostly peduncled, api: 

 terminal. 

 Leaves elliptic ; heads small . 

 Leaves narrow-oblong ; heads in an oblong 



spike 16. D. Melleri, 



6. D. aJ tertians. 



mossam h icensis. 

 HjUiotii. . 



