Spermacoce.] hubiace^. 163 



the inner face without leaving any free dissepiment. — Bigelowia lasiocarpa, 

 W. and Arn. Prod. Fl. Penins. i. 437, with the synonyms there adduced. 

 Spermacoce pusilla, S.Jilina, and 8. ramosa, Wall. Catal. n. 823, 830, and 831. 

 Bigelowia gracilis, Miq. PL Hohen. Terr. Canar. Exs. n. 705 a. B. myriantha, 

 Miq. Fl. Ned. Ind. ii. 334. 



Hongkong, Wright. A common weed throughout E. India and the Archipelago, and pro- 

 bably also in eastern tropical Africa, more doubtfully in South America. To the above sy- 

 nonyms should probably be added several others of which I have not seen authentic speci- 

 mens; also, as more or less marked varieties, — B. Icevicaulis, Miq. Fl. Ned. Ind. ii. p. 335, 

 which has an almost perfectly smooth stem, and the corolla very small and cleft almost to 

 the base, but perhaps the few that I have seen are abnormal ; B. Roxburghiana, W. and 

 Arn. Prod. i. p. 437, which has constantly smooth stems, with the corolla very hairy inside 

 at the throat, and Sp. Natalensis, Hochst. in Flora 1844, p. 555 (Biodia elongata, E. Mey. 

 PI. Drege Exs.), with precisely the characters of the narrow-leaved forms of B. Roxburghi- 

 ana. B. Kleinii, W. and Arn. Prod. i. p. 437, which occurs in herbaria also under the 

 name of Sp. ocymoides, a small plant with all the leaves ovate, has a different look, but may 

 be again, as suggested, a variety of the above ; and the narrow-leaved B. eryngioides, Ch. and 

 Schl., from S. America, is very nearly allied to the commoner Indian forms of Sp. stricta. 



2. S. semierecta, Roxb. Fl. Ind. i. SIT, from Ms drawing, n. 1333. A 

 rather coarse annual of 1 or 2 ft., with long spreading 4-angled branches, 

 slightly rough on the angles but not hairy. Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 

 acute, 1 to 1-| in. long ; the lateral veins diverging from the midrib, very pro- 

 minent and very rough to the touch. Bristles of the stipules longer than 

 their sheaths. Flowers about 1 line long, in very dense, axillary, whorl-like, 

 almost globular clusters. Capsules obo void-globular, about 1 line long, 

 crowned by the 4 teeth of the calyx \ the 2 carpels separating in 2 valves, 

 leaving however more or less of the thin dissepiment free and persistent be- 

 tween them. — Borreria discolor, Bartl. in DC. Prod. iv. 545 ?; Benth. in Kew 

 Journ. Bot. iv. 199. 



Hongkong, Champion ; and, if the synonyms are correct, also Sumatra and the Philip- 

 pines. This is a much stiffer and coarser plant than S. stricta, with a yellowish tinge, and 

 all the leaves broad, stiff, and very rough. I can find no corolla remaining on my specimens. 

 The calycine teeth are very short. The dehiscence of the capsule is intermediate, as it were, 

 between those of Borreria {Bigelowia) and Spermacoce proper. In the former the whole 

 dissepiment splits asunder into the two cocci, each opening all the way up in a longitudinal 

 slit ; in Spermacoce proper the whole dissepiment is simple, and when the cocci separate, re- 

 mains free or attached to one of the cocci ; in the present species a portion of the dissepi- 

 ment in the centre, at the base, to about half-way up, is simple and free as in Spermacoce 

 proper, the remainder splits and separates with the cocci as in Borreria ; at least, so it is in 

 a great majority of the capsules of my specimens ; it may not be constantly so in the 

 species. 



3. S. hispida, Linn.; DC. Prod. iv. 555. A coarse, diffuse, little- 

 branched herb, roughly pubescent or hispid, 1 to 2 ft. long. Leaves obovate 

 or the upper ones oblong, ^ to 1 in. long or rarely more, obtuse, with few 

 veins, sessile or the lower ones narrowed into a petiole of 1 to 3 lines. 

 Bristles of the stipules rather longer than their sheath. Flowers usually about 

 3 lines long, sessile, 3 together, or rather more in each axil. Tube of the co- 

 rolla longer than the calyx-teeth and dilated at the top, but varying consi- 

 derably in size. Capsule ovoid, hispid, about 2 lines long, crowned by the 4 

 calyx-teeth, separating into the H carpels, 1 of which is alwavs open on the 



M 2 



