ChristisoniaJ] civ. OROBANCHACE^E. (J. D. Hooker.) 321 



2. CHRXSTXSONXA, Gardn. 



Fleshy, low, scaly, parasitic herbs, with white yellow purple or rose- 

 coloured flowers ; stems simple or tufted from a short or long rootstock. 

 Scales alternate, obtuse or acute. Flowers bracteolate or not. Calyx 

 tubular, terete or angular, 5-toothed or -lobed. Corolla-tube long, inflated, 

 or funnel-shaped, slightly curved, obscurely 2-lipped, 5-lobed ; lobes sub- 

 equal, rounded, 2 upper (inner in bud) suberect, lower spreading. Stamens 

 4, included or subexserted, filaments stout ; anther with one perfect cell and 

 one imperfect which is spurred or appendaged, rarely with both cells perfect. 

 Disc 0. Ovary 1-celled, with 2 2-partite placentas, or 2-celled from the 

 placentas meeting in the axis ; style long, tip incurved, 'stigma large 2-lobed 

 upper lobe very small lower very large orbicular or clavate ; ovules nume- 

 rous. Capsule ovoid or subglobose, locnlicidal. Seeds, minute, crowded, 

 many perfect with striate testa, others imperfect with lax testa; embryo 

 half as long as the albumen. DISTRIB. Species 10, all tropical Asiatic. 



There is no character by which Campbellia can be separated from Christisonia, 

 that of tbe placentas meeting or not in the axis being one of degree and not accom- 

 panied by any other. I find it impossible to determine the species from dried 

 specimens, and have been compelled to resort for their limitation to the descriptions 

 and published figures of Gardner and Wight, and to the fine series of drawings of 

 native specimens in the Kew Herbarium. I have also availed myself of some valuable 

 notes made b'y Mr. Clarke, who attempted the definition of the species when studying 

 the Indian Cyrtandraceoe. 



1. C. tubulosa, Benth. in Gen. PI. ii. 982; quite glabrous, stems tall 

 flexuous, scales very few distant acute, flowers racemose, pedicels slender 

 ebracteolate, calyx angular, lobes acute, anther-spurs acute, ovary 1-celled, 

 placenta.s ovulii'erous all over. Oligopholis tubulosa, Wight Ic. t. 1422, 

 and III. t. 158 b, f. 7. 



SOUTH DECCAN ; Kurg and Courtallam, Wight. 



Stem 6-10 in., simple or divided below. Pedicels stout, 1-4 in. ; bracts obtuse. 

 Calyx f-l| in., lobes triangular. Corolla 1-2J in. long, mouth |-1| in. diain., 

 blue ?, pubescent without in Wight's figure, glabrous in specimens ; lobes rounded, 

 quite entire. Filaments pubescent. Stigma orbicular ; " placentas nearly meeting 

 in the centre, ovuliferous on their opposed faces, confluent below " (Clarke). 



2. C. subacaulis, Gardn. in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. viii. 162 ; quite 

 glabrous, almost stemless, scales large acuminate, flowers crowded, pedicels 

 longer than the bracts ebracteolate, calyx-lobes acuminate, corolla-lobes 

 edged with violet, cells of shorter stamens both perfect. Wight Ic. t. 142 

 (corrections in text). Campbellia subacaulis, Benth. in Gen. PL ii. 967. 

 JSginetia acaulis, Walp. Rep. iii. 481. M. acaulis, var. /3 Thw. Enum. 

 221. Phelipsea subacaulis, Benth. Scroph. Ind. 55; Renter in DC. 

 Prodr. xi. 11. 



NILGHEKBT Mis. and Courtallam, Wight. CEYLON ; Eambodde district. 

 Wight's figure represents a plant 4 in. high, with a very short stout stem, clothed with 

 scales H in. long, and a corolla 2 in. long. A drawing sent by Thwaites (in Herb. 

 Kew) is indefinite as to the bracts and calyx, and has a white corolla with an inflated 

 white tube \l in. long, and limb as broad edged with violet. Filaments glabrous. 

 Ovary 1-celled ; placentas nearly meeting in the centre, opposed faces not ovuliferous ; 

 larger stigmatic lobe orbicular. 



3. C. Hookeri, Clarice mss. ; almost stemless, quite glabrous, scales 

 truncate lacerate, pedicels very short ebracteolate, calyx terete, lobes rounded, 



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