Lasianthus.~\ LXXV. RUBIACE.E. (J. D. Hooker.) 191 



very coriaceous, base rounded, nerves 7-9 spreading, veins closely reticulated, 

 flowers sessile or pedicelled and subracemose on a short stout peduncle, bracts 

 subulate, calyx-teeth subulate. Wight Ic. t. 1032 ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. Anal. Gen, 

 t. xvii. f. 6. Santia venulosa, W. 8f A. Prodr. 422. Rubiacea, Wall Cat. 

 8324, in part (locality of SUhet erroneous), 8459. 



NLLGHEBEY MTS., alt. 6-8000 ft., common. 



A very robust leafy much-branched shrub ; branches black when dry. Leaves 

 by \-\ in., reddish-brown when dry, midrib and petiole (- in.) very stout, 



nerves prominent on both surfaces; stipules small, in., triangular or narrower. 

 Peduncles longer than the petioles, pedicels hairy. Calyx hirsute, teeth 4-5, erect 

 or recurved. Corolla ^ in., yellowish, glabrous without, throat and lobes within 

 villous. Drupe % in. diam., blue, crowned by the calyx-teeth ; pyrenes 3-5, thick- 

 walled. 



50. Zi. capitulatus, Wight in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. vi. 511 ; branches 

 strigose pubescent or glabrate, leaves petioled lanceolate acuminate base acute 

 coriaceous, nerves 7-9 pair, veins sparingly branched and reticulate, flowers 

 sessile on a short peduncle bracteate, calyx-teeth small. 



NELGHEKBY MTS. ; Sisparah, Wight ; Conoor, alt. 7000 ft., C. B. Clarice. 



A much larger and longer-leaved plant, with a narrower leaf-base than L. venu- 

 losus, not so stout, with less reticulated veins, the flowers capitate and corolla 

 hirsute without; but my specimens are very incomplete. Leaves 4-6 by 1-1^ in. in 

 one of Wight's specimens, 4-5 by 1^-2| in. in another, which has the veins scarcely 

 branched. Peduncles shorter than the petioles ; bracts subulate ; flowers pubescent. 

 Drupe globose, | in. diam., crowned by the recurved calyx-teeth, smooth, glabrous ; 

 pyrenes 2-4, larger and much thinner-walled than in L. venulosus. 



51. Xi. dichotomus, Wight in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. vi. 508 ; glabrous, 

 leaves petioled oblong or ovate- rarely obovate-oblong base rounded or cordate, 

 nerves 6-8 pair, veins very close-set straight, flowers sessile and on the branches 

 of a slender peduncle, bracts subulate, calyx-teeth long lanceolate. Bedd. Ic. 

 PL Ind. Or. t. 13. 



TBAVANCORB ; Shevagherry and Courtallam hills, Wight, Beddome. 

 Branches pale. Leaves 2-4 by f-lf in., pale brown when dry, rather thin, 

 nerves strong, veins faint ; petiole in., sometimes strigose on the upper face ; 



Eles small, ^ in., lanceolate, acute, glabrous. Cymes including the very slender 

 Qcle 1-1 in., irregularly sparingly dichotomously branched; bracts ~^-^ in. 

 Calyx \ in. long, teeth 3-4, spreading tips hairy. Corolla-tube exceeding the 

 calyx-teeth, at length glabrous, lobes hirsute within. Ovary 3-4-celled. Drupe not 

 seen. 



52. L. varians, Thw. Enum. 146 (Mephitidia), partly] quite glabrous, 

 leaves small petioled shortly oblong apiculate base subacute or rounded, nerves 

 6-8 pair hardly distinguishable from the loosely reticulated veins, flowers few 

 sessile or shortly pedicelled on the top of a rigid filiform peduncle, bracts subu- 

 late, calyx-teeth subulate. 



CEYLON ; Central Province, Galagama, alt. 5-8000 ft., Thwaites. 



Branches slender, black when dry. Leaves 1^-2 by f-1^ in., coriaceous, black- 

 brown when dry, midrib excurrent as a firm point; petiole long and slender for 

 the genus, - in. ; stipules very small, -j- in., p-iangular. Peduncles very slender, 

 strict, 1 in. and less, surmounted with a pair of subulate bracts ~ in. long. Calyx 

 glabrous, tube urceolate glabrous, longer than the subulate teeth. Corolla and Drape 

 not seen. Ovary 3-celled. Thwaites includes under this species some states of 

 striffosus, which differs in the inflorescence and calyx, as does its much nearer ally 

 L. WalJcerianus, which has a similar venation and excurrent midrib, and specimens 

 of which are also included by Thwaites under L. varians. 



