546 cix. ACANTHACE^;. (C. B. Clarke.) [Rungia. 



similar to the bracts or narrow. Calyx small, deeply 5-lobed ; segments 

 linear-lanceolate. Corolla small, blueish or white ; limb 2-lipped, upper lip 

 emargiiiate shorter than the lower 3-lobed lip. Stamens 2 ; anthers 2- 

 celled, cells parallel subequal, or more often superposed, lower cell muticons 

 or white-tailed. Ovary 4-ovulate; style filiform, minutely bifid. Capsule 

 ovoid or oblong,, shortly stalked ; after dehiscence the placentas with the 

 retinacula rise elastically from the base of the capsule, scattering the 

 seeds. Seeds 4, compressed, orbicular, glabrous, verrucose, sometimes 

 minutely, sometimes very strongly, so that the seed is concentrically rugose 

 or subcristate. Species 20, mostly Asiatic, a few Tropical African. 



I am unable to make sections of this genus ; the species are described in order of 

 their size, beginning with the largest. 



1. R. sisparensiSy T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 518; leaves 

 large elliptic acuminate at both ends glabrous, bracts dimorphic bifarious 

 ovate subacute not acuminate glabrous, corolla ^-5 in. Adhatoda sispa- 

 rensis, Benth. in PI. Hohenack. n. 1436. 



NILGHEKBIES ; Sispara, Wight, Gardner, &c. ; Valla Caudoo, Wight ; Wynaad, 

 Seddome. 



Shrubby, nearly glabrous. Leaves 6 by 1| in., obscurely lineolate; petiole 1 in. 

 Spikes 2-3 by f in., 1-sided, 2 series of large empty bracts on one side, 2 series of 

 smaller flowering ones on the other ; empty bracts | by in., narrowed at both ends, 

 shining green, not or very narrowly marginate, striate ; flowering bracts similar but 

 hardly half so large, subscariose, more acute ; bracteoles in., lanceolate. Calyx 

 in. ; segments linear-lanceolate, minutely pubescent. Anther-cells separated, 

 lower white-tailed. Capsule - in., minutely pubescent. Seeds verrucose, almost 

 tubercled. 



2. R. Wigrhtiana, Nees in Wall. PI. As. Ear. iii. 110, and in DC. 

 Prodr. xi. 472 ; leaves large lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate glabrous, bracts 

 dimorphic obscurely 2-ranked round-ovate prominently margined nearly 

 glabrous, corolla ^ in. Wight Ic. t. 1549 ; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soe. 

 ix. 518. E. Arnottiana, Wight Ic. t. 1550. Justicia Wightiana, Wall. Cat. 

 2472. 



S. DECCAN PENINSULA ; Courtallum, Wight, G. Thomson ; Attrarnallay, 

 Beddome. 



Leaves 6| by 2 in., base attenuate, lineolate ; petiole 1| in.. Spikes 2 by in., 

 somewhat laxly imbricate, often panicled ; empty bracts in. diam., obtuse rarely 

 minutely apiculate ; flowering bracts rather narrower, somewhat obovate ; bracteoles 

 ^ in., subovnte, pubescent. Calyx |~ in. ; segments linear-lanceolate, minutely 

 pubescent. Anther-cells superposed, lower white-tailed. Capsule % in., minutely 

 pubescent. Seeds subtubercular verrucose. E. Arnottiana, Wight, differs only in 

 the uppermost leaves being as broad as the middle cauline. 



3. R. laeta, Clarke; leaves ovate acute at both ends subglabrous, 

 bracts large broadly elliptic acute marginate ciliate, corolla in. 



S. DECCAN PENINSULA (?); Herb. Wight. 



Leaves 2^ by 1| in. ; petiole \ in. Peduncles \ in., axillary ; spikes 1J by f in. ; 

 bracts sub-4-seriate, all fertile, by in., narrowed at base; margin prominent, 

 scarious, purplish ; bracteoles ^ in., linear, glabrous. Calyx in. ; segments linear- 

 lanceolate, puberulous. Anther-cells oblong, contiguous, parallel, one scarcely lower 

 than the other, slightly whitened, not tailed at the base. Ovary glabrous, subglan- 

 dular, style hairy near the base. Capsule not seen. This appears much the finest 

 species in the genus, but there is only a branchlet in Herb. Wight. 



4. R. latior, Nees in DC. Prodr. xi. 472; scabrous-pubescent, leaves 



