ACANTHACE^E 365 



becomes slimy, because covered with slimy hairs. 

 Another species of RUELLIA (R. TUBEROSA, L.), 

 found very commonly in and about gardens, is a 

 West Indian plant. The leaves are larger than the 

 above, softer and less hairy. The flowers are larger 

 and of a pretty blue colour. The fruit is of the same 

 type but larger. 



ASYSTASIA COROMANDELIANA, Nees, a weak-stemmed 

 shrub procumbent or straggling over hedges. Branches 

 thin, grooved, leaves opposite, petioled, ovate, entire,, 

 herbaceous, pubescent, without stipules. 



Flowers in one-sided racemes, the bracts opposite 

 like the leaves, but with a flower in one only of each 

 pair. Sepals five, narrow lanceolate, and pubescent. 

 Corolla tubular, yellow, narrow below, wider above,, 

 with five nearly equal spreading lobes, which are im- 

 bricate in bud. Ovary superior, two-celled, with four 

 ovules. Stamens four, attached to the tube of the 

 corolla, style terminal on the ovary. Fruit a capsule, 

 narrow and solid below, but containing above four 

 seeds with thick hard stalks that spring out when ripe. 



ADHATODA VASICA, Nees, a densely growing erect 

 shrub. Leaves opposite, without stipules, petioled,, 

 elliptic, acute, entire and nearly glabrous, about eight 

 inches long, with prominent pinnate venation. 



Flowers in dense four-angled spikes ; on axillary 

 peduncles, with large bracts, which conceal them in 

 bud. Bracteoles two, oblanceolate. Calyx deeply five- 

 lobed. Corolla tubular below, above two lipped, the 

 upper lip notched (or two-lobed) and curved forv/ard, 

 the lower spreading with three lobes. Lobes imbri- 

 cate in bud, white, the lower lip often with pink 



