Elatostc/na.] cxxxvi. URTICACE^B. (J. D. Hooker.) 567 



crenulate or serrulate from near the often auricled base, male recepts lobed 

 or clustered sessile or shortly peduncled exinvolucrate, invol. bracts con- 

 fluent in a fleshy disk with lobed margins. 



TROPICAL HIMALAYA; Kumaon, Thomson. Sikkim, alt. 1-6000 ft., J. D.H., 

 Clarke. KHASIA MTS., alt. 4-5000 ft., Griffith, &c. NAGA HILLS, on Kohima, 

 alt. 6000 ft., Clarke. 



The largest and stoutest Indian species, 4-5 ft. high, yellow green when dry ; 

 stem terete, grooved when dry, branches often zigzag. Leaves coriaceous, largest 

 6-10 by 3-4 in., narrowest 6 by f-2 in., smooth or scaberulous above, base very 

 variable, glabrous or pubescent beneath, cuneate or more often with a large round or 

 incurved hooked auricle on the lower margin, which is produced far below the acute 

 upper ; cystoliths crowded ; nerves all oblique ; stipules 1 in., or less. Recepts J-l in. 

 diam. ; peduncle sometimes ^ in.; fern, small, totnentose ; invol. bracts confluent 

 with free tips. Achene ovoid, dotted with red. Very variable; the leaves are some- 

 times quite entire below the middle. 



11. E. Stracheyanum, Wedd. in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 4, i. 188 ; Monogr. 

 328, t. 9, f. 18; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 189 ; very slender herbaceous, stem long 

 creeping sending up flaccid tomentose branches, leaves 1-2 in. sessile mem- 

 branous obliquely oblong or oblong-lanceolate acuminate strongly serrate 

 throughout sparsely setulose above pubescent beneath, cystoliths minute ' 

 obscure, male recepts small subsessile, invol. bracts few free rounded green 

 pubescent. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA; Kumaon, alt. 64,000 ft., Strachey tif Winterlottom. 

 KHASIA MTS., alt. 5-6000 ft., J. D.H. $ T. T. 



Creeping stem 2-3 ft. ; branches 4-10 in. Leaves very membranous, lower base 

 rounded, a minute opposite green leaflet ^ in. long is sometimes present ; nerves 

 very slender; stipules lanceolate. Male recepts - in. diam., globose, few-fid.; 

 bracteoles linear-oblong, ciliate ; sepals apiculate. Fern, heads not seen, described by 

 Weddell as smaller than the males with obovate bracteoles, -sepals shorter than the 

 staminodes, and the achenes as broadly elliptic and obtusely acuminate. The leaves in 

 form and serrature resemble those of E. sessile, which is perhaps its nearest ally, and 

 from which it differs in size and its creeping habit. 



12. E. Hookerianum, Wedd. Monogr. 309 ; DC. Prodr. xvi. i. 180; 

 herbaceous, quite glabrous, stem long slender and rooting below, leaves 

 2-4 in. membranous or coriaceous sessile falcately oblong-lanceolate acu- ' 

 miriate or caudate serrate in the upper half, base broad auricled on the 

 lower margin, cystoliths minute or obscure, stipules lateral linear or filiform 

 persistent, recepts sessile or the male shortly peduncled, male invol. bracts 

 free mucronate, fern, confluent in a fleshy disk with a membranous crenate 

 ciliate margin. 



SIKKIM HIMALAYA, alt. 4-6000 ft., Herb. Griffith, J. D. H., &c. KHASIA and 

 NAG A HILLS, alt. 6000 ft., Clarke. 



Monoecious or dioecious. Stem creeping below for sometimes a great length, then 

 erect or inclined, stout or slender, simple or branched. Leaves green when dry, very 

 uniform along the stem, rarely straight with acute bases, cystoliths imperceptible or 

 crowded along the very margin ; stipules | J in. Male fl. long-pedicelled ; bracts 

 and bracteoles glabrous ; fern. fl. on a very thick pedicel shorter than the achenes, 

 bracteoles ciliate. Achenes ellipsoid, obtuse, irregularly ribbed. 



VAR. ? peduncularis ; leaves less falcate, base narrowed, cystoliths abundant. 

 Sikkim, alt. 4-5000 ft., Clarke. 



ft Leaves small short, tip rounded or cuspidate. 



13. E. reptans, HooJc.f. ; stem slender creeping and rooting through- 



