Lecanthus.'] cxxxvi. URTICACEJI. (J. D. Hooker.) 559 



30. LECANTHUS, Weddell. 



Characters of Elatostema, but leaves opposite. Differs from Pilea in 

 the fleshy discoid receptacles. 



Zi. Wig-htii, Wedd. in Ann. So. Nat. Ser. 4, i. 187 ; Monogr. 280, t. 9 ; 

 Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. \. ii. 2158. L. peduncularis, Wedd. in DC. Prodr. xvi. 

 i. 16-t. L. major and L. Wallichii, Wedd. L c. 187. Elatostema ovatnm, 

 Wight Ic. t. 1985. E. oppositif'olium, Dalz. in Hook. Journ. Sot. iii. 179 ; 

 Dalz. fy Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 239. Procris peduncularis, Wall. Cat. 4634 A ; 

 Boyle 'III. t. 83. P. obtusa, Royle L c. 



TEMPERATE and SUBTROPICAL HIMALAYA, alt. 4-12,000 ft., from Chamba to 

 Sikkim and the KHASIA and NAGA HILLS. MUNNIPORE, Clarice. MARWA, on 

 Mt. Aboo, King. DECCAN PENINSULA, on the Ghats, from the Concan southwards. 

 CEYLON; Matelle East, Beckett (C.P. 3870). DISTRIB. Java, Tropical Africa. 



Succulent, decumbent, monoecious or dioecious, very variable in size, from a weak 

 little herb 1-2 in. high, with 2 or 3 pairs of small subentire leaves -1 in. long 

 towards the top of the thread-like stem, to a stout branched herb, 12-18 in. high, 

 with numerous pairs of long- or short-petioled leaves coarsely serrate 6 in. long and 

 glabrous or sparsely hairy. Leaves membranous, obliquely ovate, obtuse, acute, 

 acuminate or caudate, subentire or coarsely toothed, serrate or creuate to the base or 

 from one-third to half-way up, 3- nerved and penninerved, base cuneate acute or 

 rounded ; petiole -3 in., slender ; stipules scarious, entire or toothed. Heads of both 

 sexes peduncled, rarely sessile ; peduncle sometimes 10 in. long and very stout ; recep- 

 tacles flat or tuvbinate, |-3^ in. diam. ; male sepals 4-5; fern. 3, very minute and 

 unequal. Achene minute, ovoid, compressed. Weddell makes two varieties, viz. 

 Wallichii, dioecious with acutely serrate leaves ; and major (from the Concan) with 

 leaves more obtusely serrate and male and fern. fl. iu the same head. The most 

 puzzling state of this plant is the minute one mentioned above, in which the receptacles 

 are reduced to y 1 ^ in. diam. It occurs at all elevations, but is the only one also at 

 great heights, and is found in the Himalaya, Munnipore and the Nilghiris. 



31. PEXiIiIONXA, G-aud. 



Herbs with the alternate leaves and habit of Elatostema, but the male 

 flowers are disposed in open or contracted sometimes capituliform cymes 

 (not seated on a receptacle), and the fern, perianth is longer than the 

 compressed tubercled achene. Species about 15, Eastern Asiatic and 

 Pacific. 



* Leaves serrate. 



1. P. G-riffithiana, Wedd. in DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 165 ; branches and 

 cymes pubescent, leaves sessile obliquely oblong-lanceolate caudate coarsely 

 crenate-serrate above the entire semicordate base, male cymes long-pedun- 

 cled laxly dichotomously branched. 



UPPER, ASSAM ; in the Patkoye Mts., Griffith. 



Stems 1-2 ft. and leaves fleshy. Leaves 2-6 in., nerves puberulous beneath. 

 Male cymes 1-2 in. diam. ; peduncle 2-3 in. ; bracts lanceolate, exceeding the 

 flowers; fern, unknown. 



2. P. heteroloba, Wedd. Monogr. 283, t. 5, f. 11 inf. ; DC. Prodr. 

 xvi. i. 166; nearly glabrous, dioecious, leaves sessile obliquely elliptic or 

 oblong acuminate or caudate coarsely crenate-serrate above the middle, base 

 semicordate, cymes all peduncled, males laxly dichotomously branched, fem. 

 subcapitate. 



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