Boerhaavia.] cxiv. NYCTAGINE/E. (J. D. Hooker.) 709 



* flowers capitate. 



1. B. repens, Linn.; diffusely branched, leaves linear ovate oblong 

 or rounded obtuse or acute, base rounded or cordate, heads small in terminal 

 or axillary panicles, flowers minute capitate, fruit | in. long shortly clavate 

 5-ribbed viscid all over, top rounded. Boiss. Fl. Orient, iv. 1045 ; Dalz. <$f 

 Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 213. 



Throughout INDIA ; from the Paujab to Assam and south to Travancore and 

 Singapore ; ascends in the hot Himalayan valleys to 7000 ft, CEYLON. DISTRIB. 

 Tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa and America. 



Root fusiform, very stout ; rootstock woody ; branches 6-24 in., glabrous or 

 pubescent. Leaves J-2 in., thick, usually white beneath ; petiole as long as the blade 

 or shorter. Panicle with very slender branches. Perianth red. Stamens 2-3. 

 I have refrained from quoting any but Indian authorities for this plant, the whole 

 genus appearing to me to be in a state of , utter confusion. . ascendens, Willd. ; 

 hirsuta, Willd., and viscosa, Lag./ are probably the same as this. I am furthei 

 unable to, draw any line between the following forms, two of which are characterized 

 by Boissier. 



B. repens proper ; small, branches 6-10 in. not very stout appressedly pubescent, 

 leaves small ovate or oblong often acute rarely cordate green above white beneath. 

 B. repens, Delile Fl. Eg. t. 3, f. 1. 



VAR. procumbens ; branches 2-3 ft. usually slender glabrous, leaves larger broader 

 often rounded white beneath, inflorescence panicled. B. procumbens, Herb. Banks 

 in Eoxb. Fl. 2nd. i. 146; Wight Ic. t. 874; Grah. Cat. Bomb. PL J67. 



VAR. diffusa ; more robust, branches long stout glabrous pubescent or viscous, 

 leaves 1-2 in. ovate obtuse or acute usually cordate green beneath, inflorescence chiefly 

 axillary. B. diffusa, Linn. Sp. PI. 3; Wall. Cat. 67?0; Boiss. 1. c. 1045. B. repanda> 

 Wall. Cat. 6769, in part.Eheede Hort: Mai. vii. t. 56. 



2. B. crispa, Heyne in Wall. Cat. 6771 ; stout, erect, scaberulously 

 pubescent, stem subsimple, leaves shortly petioled oblong or ovate-oblong 

 rounded at both ends coriaceous scabrid on both surfaces, nerves very 

 numerous and strong beneath, flowers few capitate in a laxly branched 

 panicle with capillary peduncles, fruit % in. long clavate 5-ribbed glandular, 

 top rounded. B. rugosa, JRottler mss. 



DECCAN PENINSULA; Heyne. 



A robust species. Leaves 1-1$ in., very thick and hard, margin crisped ; petiole 

 stout, |-5 in. Panicles with decurved branches. The specimens of this very distinct- 

 looking plant are in fruit only. 



** Floivers umbelled or whorled. 



3. B. repanda, Willd. Sp. PL i. 22 ; subscandent, branches long 

 pale, leaves triangular-ovate or -cordate acute or acuminate repand-sinuate, 

 umbels long-peduncled axillary and terminal few-fld., pedicels long slender, 

 fruit i in. long slender glandular. Chois. in DC. Prodr. xiii. 1, 455; Wall. 

 Cat. 6769, excl. part of B; Wight Ic. t. 1766; Dalz. Sf Gils. Boml. FL 

 213. B. umbellata, Wight mss. Valeriana chinensis, Sunn. Fl. Ind. 15 ? 

 t. 6, f. 3. 



UPPER GANGETIC PLAI^ and ROHJLKUND, Wallich, Edgeworth, &c. The 

 CONCAN, Stoc'ks. MYSORE, TRAVANCORE and the CARNATIC, Wight, &c. PEGU and 

 BURMA, Wallich. DISTRIB. Beluchistan., 



Branches diffuse, subscandeut, glabrous or pubescent, 6 ft. long. Leaves 1-3 in., 

 base usually* truncate or cordate ; petiole slender, i~H in. Peduncles 1-2 in., very 

 slender, 2-6 fld. ; pedicels 5! in., capillary. Perianth pink, tube i in. long ; limb 

 in. diam. Stamens far exserted. Fruit slightly clavate, covered with large glands, 



