30 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [January, 1914. 



■ 



velli. This and the three preceding species are all closely allied 

 to D. oppositifolia, and may be regarded as sharing a common 

 origin with it. 



67- D. oppositifolia, Linn., Spec. Plant, (1753), p. 

 1033, and earlier in his Flor. Zeyl., (1747), no 361: Hook, 

 f., Flor. Brit. Ind., vi. (1892), p. 292. D. coriacea, Wall, in 

 Herb, propr. D. elliptica, Thunb. in Herb, propr. D. ovata, 

 Thunb. in Herb, propr., in part. This species occurs commonly 

 throughout India south of the Ganges, and in Ceylon. It 

 varies in a way which makes it impossible to give to it a 

 single place in our key (see above after no. 66, after no. 80, 

 and after no. 89) ; for sometimes the inflorescence is pubes- 

 cent, and sometimes not; sometimes the male spikes are axil- 

 lary only, and sometimes in special leafless inflorescences. On 

 one hand it finds close allies in D. spicata, D. intermedia, D. 

 Trimenii and D. Wightii: on the other it approaches D. triner- 

 via, and more remotely D. pyri folia. We define three varie- 

 ties. 



Variat 



Var. Thwaitesii. Folia pubescentia, lanceolato-ovata vel late 



ovata, siccitate brunnescentia. Inflorescentice maris axis copiose 



pubescens. 

 Var. Linn;ei. Folia glabra, late lanceolata vel ovata. Inflores- 



centice maris axis elongatus, brunneo-pubescens. 

 Var. dtjkhunensis. Folia glabra, late ovata. Spicoz maris axillares 



vel rarissime in inflorescenta aggregate, glabrae vel fere glabrae. 



Varietas Thwaitesii zeylanica (Thunbergl Walker, 147! 219! Thwai- 

 tea 9 2303! Gardner , 8981). Varietas Linn^ei reperitur in Zeylania 

 (Walker , 4G ! Bottler I) et in districtu Malabar (Hohenacker, 597!) et in 

 distrietu Tinnevelli (Wight, 2824!). Varietas dukhunensis in omni- 

 bus partibus montanis humidis peninsulse Indiae reperitur. 



68. D. obcunbata, Hook, f., Flor. Brit. Ind., vi. (1892), 

 p. 293. Ceylon, without precise locality. This species con- 

 nects D. spicata with D. oppositifolia. Unlike the local 

 varieties of the latter occurring in Ceylon, it is wholly glabrous. 

 Its elongated inflorescences are such as are often to be found in 

 -D. oppositifolia, and its obcuneate leaves are shaped as those 

 of D. spicata sometimes are : but the leaves of D. spicata are 

 much firmer. It has not been possible to give this species a 

 natural place in the key. 



69. D. hastifolia. Nees in Lehm., 'Plant. Preiss., ii. 

 (1848), p. 33: Benth., Flor. Austral., vi. (1873), p. 461. Found 

 near the western coast of Australia between lat. 33° and 27 °S. 



70. D. transversa, R. Brown, Prod. Flor. Nov. Holl. 

 (1810), p. 295: Benth., Flor, Austral., vi. (1873), p. 460. ?D. 

 punctata, Thozet, Notes on roots used as food, (1866), pp. 7 and 



