Blepharis.] cix. ACANTHACE^I. (C. B. Clarke.) 479 



Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 500. B. maderaspatensis, Roth Nov. Sp. 320 Acan- 

 thus maderaspatensis, Linn. Sp. PI. 892; Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii 33 A 

 ciliaris, Burm. Fl. Ind. 139, t. 42, fig. 2. 



DECCAN PENINSULA, from Mt. Aboo and Behar to Ceylon ; common. PEGTJ 

 Wallich, &c. DISTRIB. Ava, Tropical Africa. 



one of the outer pair minutely emarginate. Corolla in., pink, purple or nearly 

 white. Capsule -J in., ellipsoid, compressed, shining glabrous. Seeds densely 



covered with obtuse spines formed of tubes free at the vertex when moistened. 



Wight depicts the ovary 2-ovulate, and no more can be found ; nor does the capsule 

 show (as 2-seeded capsules usually do) the papillae of the suppressed ovules; but Nees 

 and Benth. in Gen. PI. say the ovary is always 4-ovulate. 



3. B. mollug-inifolia, Pers. Syn. ii. 180 ; leaves usually 4 in a whorl 

 oblong hairy or minutely scabrous, heads mostly 1-fld. many of the outer 

 bracts barren, bracteoles elliptic or oblong subsessile, capsule 2-seeded 

 Wall. Cat. 2514; Nees in Watt. PL As. Bar. iii. 97, and in DC. Prodr. 

 xi. 266 ; Dalz. 8f G-ibs. Bomb. Fl. 192 ; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 

 500. B. repens, Roth Nov. Sp. 321. Acanthus repens, Vahl Symb. ii. 76. 

 A. maderaspatensis, Linn. Herb, partly. 



DECCAN PENINSULA ; common in the Carnatic, and from Delhi and Chota Nag- 

 pore to CEYLON. 



A wiry perennial ; branches 3-6 in., prostrate, usually roughly hairy. Leaves 

 | 1 in., subsessile, obtuse. Bracts and bracteoles bristle-cilia te ; bracts shorter than 

 the bracteoles. Calyx and corolla nearly as of B. boerhaavicefolia, but much smaller ; 

 corolla (including the larger lip) only - in. Capsule and seeds as of B. boerhaavice- 

 folia, but the seeds appear (even when dry) shaggy, from the numerous bundles of 

 annular tubes being connected only at the base. As in B. boerhaavicBfolia, only 2- 

 ovulate ovaries and 2-seeded capsules have been seen. 



4. B. sindica, Stocks ; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 500 ; leaves 

 linear or narrowly oblong pubescent, heads few- or many-fid., bracteoles 

 linear hairy shorter than the bracts, capsule 2-seeded. Acanthodium gros- 

 sum, Wight Ic. tt. 1535, 1536, not of Nees. 



SCINDE ; Stocks, Dalzell. PUNJAB ; Stewart, Vicary, Aitchison. 



Stems 3-6 in., or very short. Leaves ^-2 in., toothed or subspinescent. Heads 

 few- or many-fld., 3-4 in. in fruit, quadrifarious ; bracts 1 in. or more, ovate with 

 divaricate lanceolate tips, prickly, hairy within and without ; bracteoles in. Calyx 

 softly hairy ; 2 outer segments ' in., ovate j 2 inner \ in. narrowly ovate. Corolla 

 |- in. Capsule \ in., ellipsoid, compressed, shining brown. Seeds in. ; appearing 

 echinate, but the tufts of tubes (even in the dry state) have all their ends free. 



5. B. edulis, Pers. Syn. ii. 180 ; leaves elliptic or oblong glaucous or 

 pubescent, heads few- or many-fid., bracteoles linear hairy shorter than the 

 bracts, capsule 2-seeded. T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 500 ; Boiss. 

 Fl. Orient, iv. 520. Acanthus edulis, Forsk. Fl. jEg.-Arab. 114. A. 

 Delillii, Spreng. Syst. ii. 819. Ruellia persica, Burm. Fl. Ind. p. 135, t. 42, 

 fig. 1. Acanthodium spicatum, Delile Fl. Eg. 97, t. 33, fig. 3 ; Nees in 

 DC. Prodr. xi. 274. 



PUNJAB and SCINDE (T. Anderson). DISTRIB. S.W. Asia, N.E. Africa. 



Stems short or 1 foot or more, branched. Leaves often in. broad, spinescent. 

 Bracts longer and more spinous than in B. sindica. Corolla f- in., blue. This 

 differs from B. sindica by the broader usually glabrous-glaucous leaves, and the 

 larger flowers : no Indian specimens have been seen. Ruellia ciliaris, Linn. Mant. 



