542 cix. ACANTHACE^E. (C. B. Clarke.) [Dianthera. 



oid, muticous, subopposite or superposed. Ovary glabrous or nearly so, 

 4-ovuled ; style minutely hairy below, tip sub-bifid. Capsule clavate, 

 4-seeded, base subcylindric solid. Seeds compressed, scabrous verrucose or 

 subhispid. Species 80, chiefly American; about 10 in the tropics of the 

 Old World. 



The character ,'of the genus is here narrowed to the Indian species, which differ 

 from the small-flowered Justicias ( J. vasculosa, &c.) only by having the lower anther- 

 cell absolutely muticous. 



Flowers %- in.) sessile or nearly so. 



1. D. leptostachya,, Benth. in Gen. PL ii. 1114 ; leaves elliptic or 

 oblong narrowed at both ends puberulous on the nerves beneath or glabrate, 

 bracts hardly T \j in. linear. Ruellia leptostachya, Wall. Cat. 2411. Lepto- 

 stachya Wal'Hchii, Neesin Wall. PL As. Ear. iii. 105, and in DC. Prodr. 

 xi. 379, the Indian plant only; Wight Ic. t. 1543. Justicia Wallichii, T. 

 Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 516. Adhatoda sp. n. 17, Serb. Ind. Or, 

 H.f. 6c T. 



MTS. of S. DECCAN PENINSULA; Courtallum, &c., Wight, &c. 



A herb; stem terete, puberulous. Leaves 4% by If in., puncticulate on both 

 surfaces ; petiole J-2 in. Spikes linear, slender, interrupted, mostly collected in a 

 terminal panicle 8-10 in. diam., puberulous; flowers opposite; pedicels j^ in., or 

 the lower developed into very small cymes. Calyx-segments T ' -| in., linear-lanceolate, 

 puberulous. Corolla scarcely \ in., nearly glabrous. Capsule \ in., clavate, puberu- 

 lou?. Seeds glabrous, tubercular-verrucose. The Philippine plant (Cuming, n. 548), 

 combined with this species by Nees, is different, and probably not of this genus (fide 

 Bentham). 



2. D. virgrata, Benth. in Gen. PL ii. 1114; leaves elliptic narrowed at 

 both ends pubescent on the nerves beneath, bracts ovate or elliptic acute as 

 long as the calyx. Jnsticia virgata, T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 516, 

 chiefly. Adhatoda sp. n. 18, Herb. Ind. Or. H.f. $ T. 



SIKKIM and KHASIA MTS. , alt. 1-3000 ft., frequent ; Griffith, H. f. fy T., &c. 



A somewhat slender herb, 2-3 ft. Leaves 4J by If in., acuminate, punctulate on 

 both surfaces, base attenuate or rhomboid ; petiole 1 in., pubescent. Spikes 3-6 in., 

 linear, slender, interrupted, terminal, 1-3 together, or sometimes panicled ; bracts 

 in. ; flowers opposite, solitary, sessile. Calyx sub-5-partite ; segments 5 in., linear- 

 lanceolate, minutely pubescent. Corolla % in., white or slightly yellow-tinged. 

 Anther-cells completely superposed. Capsule % in., clavate, puberulous. Seeds 

 glabrous, tubercular-verrucose. Leptostachya virgata, Nees in Wall. PL As. Ear. 

 iii. 105, and Cat. 7177, and in DC. Prodr. xi. 379, from Ava, united with this by T. 

 Anderson, has a very large panicle, cymose flowers and linear bracts, and seems much 

 nearer D. leptostachya. 



3. D. debilis, Clarice ; leaves cordate-lanceolate pubescent on the 

 nerves beneath, bracts linear or linear-oblong shorter than the calyx. 



KHASIA TEEAI, alt. 500 ft. ; Shaila, Clarice. 



Resembling D. virgata, but very weak. Leaves 4^ by If in., acuminate, mem- 

 branous ; petiole 1 in. Splices 1-3 in., linear, often 3 on a terminal peduncle 1-2 in. ; 

 bracts ^ in., pubescent ; flowers opposite, solitary, distant. Calyx sub-5-partite ; 

 segments ^ in., linear, pubescent. Corolla in., yellowish-white. Anther-cells 

 parallel, one very slightly higher than the other. Ovary glabrous ; base of style hairy. 

 Young capsule as of D. virgata. 



4. D. Griffith!!, Benth. in Gen. PL ii." 1114 ; leaves petioled ovate 

 acute glabrous, panicles terminal trichotomous, bracts and bracteoles 



