ElaiostemaJ] cxxxvi. URTICACE.&. (J. D. Hooker:) 568- 



better divisional characters than those here adopted will be found in the form of the 

 free or confluent bracts of the male receptacles, but these are difficult of analysis in 

 dried ones. The character of pcdunclcd and sessile heads will, I expect, prove very 

 deceiving, and be abandoned. The difficulty of describing the form uud nervation of 

 the leaves is great, from their variability ; and the presence or absence of cystoliths 

 on one or both surfaces is not constant in individual specimens of many species. In 

 some species the male and fern, receptacles are in different individuals, in others 

 in the same, whilst many species are either monoecious or dioecious, so that I can 

 attach no importance to this character. 



Sect. I. ANDROSYCE, Wedd. Male receptacle fleshy, exinvolucrate, fig- 

 like, at first closed, latterly bursting irregularly and expanded. 



1. 3B. ficoides, Wedd. Monogr. 306, t. 10; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 171; 

 leaves 5-9 in. subsessile obliquely oblong or obovate-oblong caudate sharply 

 coarsely serrate from the base penninerved sparsely setose above. B. 

 Mariannae, Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. Sot. xv. 114. Procris ficoidea, 

 Wall. Cat. 4635. Androsyce indica, Wedd. mss. 



CENTRAL and EASTERN HIMALAYA, alt. 4-8000 ft. ; Nepal, WallicU ; Sikkim, 

 J. D. H., &c. KHASIA Mfs. , Herb. Calcutt. MUNNIPORE ; on Kohairna, alt. 6000 ft., 

 GlarJce. 



Monoecious or dioecious, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Stem 4-6 ft. , grooved. 

 Leaves membranous, brown when dry, base narrowed very unequal, cystoliths very 

 minute ; neives 3-5 pairs, arched ; stipules oblong-lanceolate. Male recepts pyriforin 

 or globose, splitting into very unequal lobes, then 1-2 in. diam. ; peduncle 5-6 in., 

 stout ; flowers many, large. Fern, recept smaller, sessile, often in pairs. Achenes 

 ellipsoid, acute at both ends, ribbed. 



Sect. II. ELATOSTEMA PROPER. Male receptacle with usually a distinct 

 involucre of many bracts, which are more or less free or confluent into a 

 fleshy disk with the tips free or not ; rarely laciniate (in JE. disseetum). 



* JMale receptacles sessile or very shortly peduncled, peduncle rarely 

 in. long (male recept unknown in E. Walker ce and cuneatum). (See also 

 E. papillosum, decipiens, Treutleri and surculosum.) 



f* Leaves acuminate or caudate. 



2. E. sessile, Forst. Char. Gen. 106; glabrous or pubescent, stem 

 simple, leaves 4-8 in. sessile or shortly petiolcd membranous obliquely 

 oblanceolate or oblong caudate coarsely serrate from the base to the tip, 

 recepts sessile or shortly peduncled, in vol. bracts of male free broadly ovate 

 or rounded coriaceous. Wedd. Monogr. 294, t. 9, f, 9 ; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 

 173. E. serratum, Forst. mss. E. pubescens, Pers. Synops. ii. 557. 

 Procris sessilis, Hook. &[ Arn. Sot. Seech. Voy. 70. P. australis, Spreng. 

 Syst. iii. 846. 



TEMPERATE and SUBTROPICAL HIMALAYA, from Chamba eastwards ; alt. 

 4-8000 ft. ASSAM, SILHET, the KHASIA and NAGA HILLS. PENAKG, Curtis ; 

 ? Perak, King's Collector. NILGHIRI HILLS, Wight, &c. CEYLON, Rambodde, alt. 

 4000 ft. DISTRIB. China, Japan, Malay and Pacific Islands, Trop. Africa. 



Stem 1-2 ft., usually prostrate and rooting below. Leaves greenish when dry, 

 cystoliths very abundant especially above. Recepts solitary or 2-3, rarely more in 

 each axil, \ % in. diam. ; peduncle rarely ^ in., of fern, ebracteate ; bracteoles very 

 minute, villous, hyaline. Achenes very minute, ellipsoid, acute at both ends, ribbed. 

 The Australian plant referred here by Weddell is by JBentham regarded as a different 

 species. E. sessile is a very variable plant ; the following are the principal but ill- 

 defined forms. 



