112 xcvii. GENTIANACE^!. (C. B. Clarke.) [Qentiana. 



HIMALAYA, alt. 3-10,000 ft. ; from Kashmir to Bhotan, common. KHASIA MTS. ; 

 alt. 3-5000 ft., common. MTS. of the DECCAN PENINSULA. CEYLON ; common. 

 DISTEIB. Burma, Java, China. 



Biennial or annual : steins usually numerous, 14 in., decumbent ; sometimes 

 erect, 4-10 in., simple, corymbose upwards. Radical leaves often rosulate, persistent ; 

 cauline ^-^ in., ovate and lanceolate, mucronate, often squarrose. Cymes usually 3-5- 

 flowered ; pedicels 0-^ in. Calyx shorter than the corolla-tube, glabrous. Corolla 

 blue, or yellowish-green ; folds small, pale, bifid or emarginate ; fimbrise 0. Capsule 

 I by | in., ellipsoid or ovoid, usually subexsert, i.e. stalk \-^ in. Seeds (in the 

 Southern form) globose or obovoid, trigonous, smooth ; in the Himalayan form 

 narrower, ellipsoid. The Indian and Java forms have very shining cartilaginous 

 leaves ; when decumbent they are called G. abscondita, ZenJc. or G. zeylanica, Griseb. 

 or G. laxicaulis, Zoll. ; when more erect they are G. quadrifaria, jBlume, or G. orbicu- 

 lata, Wall. The abundant N. Indian plant is more herbaceous with green not shining 

 leaves, and is G. pedicellata, Wall, or Ericala procumbens, Don. A form (?) with 

 elongate, strict stems, and cauline leaves few, oblong, adpressed, flowers in early 

 spring in Sikkim, and is doubtfully referred to G. pedicellata by Sir J. D. Hooker. 



VAE. pilosula ; leaves minutely ciliate-pubescent, calyx pilose. Sikkim, alt. 

 6-8000 ft. ; J. J). H., &c. 



13. Gr. decemfida, Ham.; Don Prodr. 127; radical leaves ovate mu- 

 cronate cauline silvery marginate, flowers lateral and terminal short-pedicelled, 

 corolla -g in. little exceeding the calyx, capsule shortly ellipsoid subincluded. 

 Wall. Cat. 4392 ; Griseb. Gentian. 274, and in DC. Prodr. ix. 107. G. Royleana, 

 Wall. Cat. 4393. Ericala decemfida, D. Don in Trans. Linn. Soc. xvii. 514. 

 E. Royleana, G. Don Gen. Syst. iv. 192. 



N.W. and CENTRAL HIMALAYA, from the Punjab to Nepal, alt. 1-8000 ft. ; Wallich, 

 Madden, &c. 



Annual ; stems 1-9 in., erect, with ascending branches. Radical leaves 1 by | in., 

 subsessile ; cauline 5-^ in., cartilaginous ; uppermost lanceolate, minutely ciliate- 

 pubescent on the margin. Pedicels 0-i in. Calyx ^ in. ; lobes % in., narrow-lanceo- 

 late, glistening. Corolla (in Wallich's examples) not longer than the calyx, sometimes 

 half as long again ; folds bifid ; fimbrise 0. Capsule | by |- in., stalk in. Seeds 

 ellipsoid, very small, obscurely trigonous ; testa close, smooth, minutely reticulated. 



VAB. aprica ; stems strict, inflorescence subpaniculate, pedicels often J in., corolla 

 ^- in. often twice as long as the calyx. G-. aprica, Dene, in Jacguem. Voy. Bot. 

 112, t. 118; Griseb. in DC. Prodr. ix. 107. Subtropical Punjab Himalaya, alt. 

 1-3000 ft. ; Siwaliks, Dehra Doon, Hooshiapore ; Griffith, Edgeworth, &c. Upper- 

 most leaves usually ciliate-pubescent on the margin ; capsule included. 



14. G. arg-entea, Royle ; Griseb. Gentian. 275, and in DC. Prodr. ix. 

 107 ; radical leaves lanceolate mucronate cauline silvery marginate, flowers 

 mostly terminal subcapitate, corolla ^ in. equalling or exceeding the calyx, 

 capsule ellipsoid subincluded. Ericala argentea, D. Don in Trans. Linn. Soc. 

 xvii. 512. 



KASHMIR and N.W. HIMALAYA, alt. 8-12,000 ft. ; Royle, Thomson, &c. DISTRIB. 

 Afghanistan. 



Stems 1-4 in., erect, branched. Radical leaves 1 by \ in. ; uppermost ovate or 

 oblong, falcate, glabrous, often closely investing the flower-heads. Capsule more than 

 by i in., stalk in. Seeds as of G. decemfida, from which this species is hardly 

 distinguishable. 



15. Cr. micans, Clarke ; stems very numerous short, radical leaves small 

 ovate cauline silvery marginate, corolla ^ in., capsule oblong often exsert. G. 

 argentea, var. , Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. 436. Gentiana sp. 19, Herb. 

 Ind. Or. H.f. $ T. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA ; Phullong, alt. 15,000 ft,, J. D. H. 



