ACANTHACE.E 357 



at the young nodes, purplish ; 1st mtemode 2 cm. long ; 2nd 1 cm. 

 or more when fully developed. 



Leaves simple, cauline, opposite, exstipulate, petiolate, alter- 

 nately incurvinerved, pubescent on both surfaces, deep green above, 

 very pale or subglaucous beneath (at least when young) ; petioles 

 convex on both surfaces, densely pubescent with upcurved hairs 

 which are arranged in lines 011 the upper surface, slightly grooved 

 on each side. 



Hairs of leaves glandular at the base (at least when young). 



First and second pairs broadly ovate, obtuse, entire, subcuneate 

 at the base. 



Third pair ovate, obtuse, shallowly dentate. 



Blechum Brownei, Juss. 



Hypocoiyl erect, terete, hairy, 2-2-4 cm. long, light green or 

 colourless. 



Cotyledons oblate, obtuse, almost truncate at the base, entire 

 or minutely emargiiiate, petiolate, slightly hairy, light green, five- 

 nerved ; petiole rather long, channelled on the upper face. 



Stem erect, square, herbaceous, ultimately woody, pubescent ; 

 1st internode 6-15 mm. long ; 2nd shorter. 



First leaves simple, entire, cauline, opposite, decussate, broadly 

 ovate or oval, obtuse, exstipulate, petiolate, hairy and green above, 

 minutely hairy and subglaucous-greeii beneath, pinnatinerved ; 

 petioles short, hairy, furrowed on the upper side. 



Strobilanth.es callosus, Nees. 



Ovary two-celled, with one ovule in each cell ; ovule erect, ana- 

 tropous, seated on the middle of a twice curved process of the 

 placenta (retinaculum). 



Fruit a capsule, elliptic, dorsally compressed, glabrous, pale 

 brown, shining, somewhat woody, dehiscing loculicidally and septici- 

 dally, two-celled with one seed in each cell. 



Seed large, flat, laterally compressed, suborbicular, obliquely cut 

 away at the base on one side of the hilum, where it rests on the free 

 apex of the retinaculum, 9 mm. long, 8 mm. wide, 1-5-2-25 mm. 

 thick in the middle, becoming thinner towards the edges, exal- 

 buminous ; testa thin, membranous, covered with whitish, adpressed 

 mucilaginous hairs, except a small, ovate, glabrous space on each 

 side at the base. 



Embryo very large, and occupying the whole of the seed, except 

 a small portion at the obliquely cut base which is occupied with 

 cortical matter, colourless ; cotyledons large, suborbicular, deeply 



