480 cix. AOANTHACE^E. (C. B. Clarke.) [Blepharis. 



89, adduced as a syn. by Nees and T. Anderson, described as from India with ciliate 

 leaves, seeuis more likely to have been Blepharis boerhaavicefolia, i. e. Buriuann's 

 ciliaris. 



XXL ACANTHUS, Linn. 



Erect or twining shrubs, or herbs. Leaves pinnatifid, toothed, spinous 

 or rarely entire. Spikes terminal or pseudo-axillary, dense strobiliform 

 or interrupted ; bracts ovate, large spinescent, or small ; bracteoles large, 

 lanceolate, rarely ; flowers subsessile, blue or white. Sepals 4, 2 outer 

 opposite, 2 inner opposite smaller. Corolla-tube short, ovoid, horny ; limb 

 of 2 lips, upper obsolete, lower elongate obovate, shortly obtusely 3-lobed. 

 Stamens 4, didynamous, shorter than the lip ; filaments stout, narrowed 

 curved below the anther, not excurrent near the apex ; anthers oblong, 

 1-celled, bearded. Disc 0. Ovary 4-ovulate ; style very shortly 2-fid ; 

 ovules 2 in each cell. Capsule ellipsoid, compressed, shining chestnut- 

 brown, 4-seeded. Seeds compressed, orbicular, without hairs ; testa very 

 lax. Species 14, in the warm and hot zones of the Old World. 



1. A. carduaceus, Griff. Itin. Notes, 144, and Ic. PL As. Or. 



t. 427 ; leaves large sessile elliptic deeply pinnatifid glabrous lobes toothed 

 spinescent, spikes long woolly, bracteoles 1 in. linear silky- woolly. T. 

 Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 500. 



BHOTAN ; Oongar, Griffith. 



A robust shrub, scandent on rocks (Griffith). Leaves 12-20 by 6 in., black -green 

 or (Griff. Priv. Journ. 265) flesh-coloured ; lobes lanceolate. Spikes 6-12 in., 

 crowded towards the ends of the branches, and on long axillary peduncles, the leaves 

 at the base of the sessile spike being only 2-4 in. long, strobilitbrin, obscurely 4- 

 ranked ; bracts 1 by f in., ovate, hairy within and without, spinous ; bracteoles lan- 

 ceolate. Calyx silky, 2 outer lobes f-1 in., lanceolate one shortly 2-toothed ; 2 inner 

 lobes | in., lanceolate. Corolla 1 in., white (Griffith), altogether as in the genus. 

 Capsule 1 1^ in., ellipsoid, compressed, glabrous, shining brown, 4-seeded, much as 

 of A. ilicifolius. 



2. A. leucostachyus, Wall. Cat. 2512 ; leaves short-petioled elliptic 

 or oblong spinous-serrate slightly hairy beneath, spikes hairy, bracteoles 

 | in. linear-lanceolate hairy. Nees in Wall. PL As. H,ar. iii. 98, and in 

 DC. Prodr. xi. 270; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 501. 



KHASIA MTS., alt. 0-3000 ft., frequent; Wallich, &c. Narnroop in the PATKOYE 

 Mrs., Griffith. CACHAB,; Keenan. 



Stem 6-15 in., decumbent, viscous-woolly. Leaves 8 by 5j in., cuneate at both 

 ends, whitened beneath ; nerves beneath viscous-pubescent, prominently reticulate ; 

 petiole | in., woolly. Spikes 3-6 in., mostly terminal, solitary ; bracts f-1 by in., 

 elliptic, spinous-toothed, hairy on both sides. Calyx softly hairy j 2 outer lobes 

 in., one shortly 2-toothed ; 2 inner ^-| in., subliuear. Corolla f in., white (Nees). 

 Capsule \-% in., ellipsoid, compressed, glabrous, shining-brown, 4-seeded. The cap- 

 sule and seeds greatly resemble A. ilicifolius, but are not ripe. 



3. A. longipetiolatus, Kurz For. Fl. ii. 241 ; leaves long-petioled 

 ovate subserrate pubescent on the nerves beneath, bracts obovate spinous- 

 toothed softly hairy, corolla 1^ in. nearly glabrous. 



PEGTJ; Brandts (Herb. Kurz). 



Stem 1 foot, rather stout, decumbent, rooting, then erect, simple, rusty-pubescent. 

 Leaves 6| by 3^ in., cuneate subacute at both ends, serratures" very shallow not spines- 

 cent ; petiole nearly 2 in. Spike solitary, simple, 5| by 1^ in., continuous ; pedun- 

 cle | in., stout, pubescent; bracts f by ^ in., teeth few, large; bracteoles 1 in., 

 linear-subulate, hairy. Sepals 5, softly hairy ; one 1 by in. oblong obtuse, two 



