168 



Plants of the Punjab. 



Herbs, Erect, with Opposite Exstipulate Simple Leaves. 



Leaf Margins Entire. 



Erythrsea 

 babylonica, 



Gentianace^. 

 p. B. L iv. 102. 

 The Plains. 

 Lahore. 

 Eawalpindi (Douie). 



Canscora diffusa, 



Gentianace^. 

 F. B. L iv. 103. 

 The Plains to 

 4,000 ft. 



Petals united. 



small, stem unbranched below, square with sharp 

 angles, leaves |-^ in., radical leaves 2, none when in flower, 

 stem leaves oblong, distant from one another, flowers 

 f in., pink, nearly sessile, in equally branching clusters, 

 caljx I in., nearly as long as the corolla tube ; otherwise 

 like Erythrcea ramosissima. Douie notes that the pedi- 

 cels and calyx are longer in the Eawalpindi specimens. 



small to medium size, annual, stem square, dense- 

 ly branched above ; leaves 1|. by | in., 3-nerved, often 

 stalked, lower leaves lanceolate or oblong with a rounded 

 end, upper passing into ovate, short-pointed, sessile, thin 

 bracts ; flowers i in., pink, on slender zigzag stems in 

 loosely spreading leafy terminal clusters, bracts | in., 

 leaflike, a few uppermost linear, calyx -i in., tubular, 4- 

 toothed, round, keeled, teeth lanceolate-linear, corolla 

 tube i in., cylindric, lobes 4, ^ in. long, nearly 2-lipped, 

 stamens 4, one larger perfect on the corolla throat, 3 

 smaller lower down, style linear, stigmas 2, short ; cap- 

 sule ^ in. oblong, seeds minute, dark brown, many-sided. 



Canscora decussata, 



Sankhahuli. 



Gentianace^. 



F. B. L iv. 104. 



The Plains to 



5,000 ft. 



Valleys below Simla 



(Collett). 



small to medium size, annual, stems square, 

 angles winged, leaves 1| by | in., sessile, oblong-lanceo- 

 late, 3-nerved, flowers ^ in., white, on stalks in the forks 

 of erect winged branches of clusters, calyx |-| in., with 

 narrowly lanceolate wings, corolla tube equal to the calyx 

 in length, lobes | in., ovate, with broad blunt tips ; other- 

 wise like the last species, but the capsule and seeds much 

 larger. This plant and the preceding are used as laxa- 

 tives and nerve tonics by Indians. 



Gentiana 

 Moorcroftiana, 



Gentianaceje. 

 F. B. L iv. 108. 

 Himalaya, 

 8-12,000 ft. 

 Kashmir, Lahul. 



small, nearly smooth, stem with 4 lines running 

 down it, branched ; leaves 1 by | in., oblong-pointed or 

 with the ends rounded, narrow below, bases sometimes 

 joined ; flowers |-1 in., blue, in nearly terminal racemes, 

 calyx tubular, tube -^ in., lobes 4-5, linear, | in., corolla 

 tubular, funnel-shaped, mouth | in. diam., lobes 4-5, 

 stamens 4-5, within the tube, style short or none, stig- 

 mas 2 ; capsule f in., lanceolate, dividing into 2, seeds 

 very many, small, yellow brown. All the gentians are 

 bitter stomachic tonics and are used by the natives of 

 India. 



