324 FLORA OF MADRAS. [Geissaspis. 



14. Geissaspis, W. & A. 



Slender diffuse annual herbs. Leaves abruptly pinnate ; leaflets 

 2 pairs, obovate ; stipules membranous, produced below the 

 insertion; stipels 0. Flowers very small, yellow or purplish, 

 in long-peduncled axillary racemes ; bracts large, oblique, 

 veined, imbricate, persistent, more or less concealing the flowers 

 and fruit. Calyx deeply 2-lipped, the upper entire, the lower 

 obscurely 3-toothed. Corolla longer than the calyx ; standard 

 suborbicular, shortly clawed; wings oblong or obovate; keel 

 petals incurved, obtuse, slightly united at the back. Stamens 

 monadelphous, the filaments free in the upper third ; anthers 

 uniform. Ovary shortly stalked ; ovules 2 ; style incurved ; 

 stigma minute, terminal. Pods 1-2 -jointed, the joints turgid 

 in the middle at first with a flat border, reticulately veined, 

 indehiscent. Seeds subreniform. 



Flowers much shorter than the bracts ; bracts orbicular, the margins 

 with many long stiff brown hairs, the bases long-sagittate ; stipules 

 lanceolate, long-spurred, long-ciliate, persistent ; corolla purplish ; 



leaflets '4-'5 in. long 1. cristata. 



Flowers as long as or longer than the bracts; bracts ovate, mucronate- 

 dentate, the bases shortly sagittate; stipules oblanceolate, shortly 

 spurred, spinous-ciliate, deciduous ; corolla yellow ; leaflets -2-3 in. 

 long 2 . tenella. 



1. GEISSASPIS CRISTATA, W. & A. 218; F. B. I. ii. 141; Bedd. 

 Ic. t. 293. 



W. Coast, from S. Canara to Travancore ; W. Ghats, in 

 Mysore, lower Nilgiris and Malabar, up to 3,000 ft., 

 usually in rice-fields. 



A very pretty plant, conspicuous for its beautiful long- 

 ciliate imbricate bracts. 



2. GEISSASPIS TENELLA, Benth. ; F. B. I. ii. 141. 



W. Coast, plains of S. Canara, in rice-fields. 



A much smaller plant than the preceding, the bracts only 



mucronate-dentate. 



15. Zornia, Gmel. 



Herbs. Leaves digitately 2-4-foliolate ; leaflets gland-dotted; 

 stipules subfoliaceous, gland-dotted, usually peltate; stipels 0. 

 Flowers in interrupted spikes or solitary, on terminal or axillary 



