Neurocalyx.] RublCtcece. 299 



9. NBUROCAIYX, Hook. 



Small perennial herbs, 1. crowded, stip. large, usually 

 divided; fl. rather large, on drooping ped. in axillary racemes; 

 cal.-segm. 5, large, coloured, membranous, reticulately veined, 

 persistent ; cor. small, rotate without a tube, lobes 5, valvate; 

 stam. 5, fil. very short, anth. connate into a conical tube ; ov. 

 2-celled with very numerous ovules in each, style simple> 

 stigma terminal ; fruit crowned with large persistent cal.- 

 segm., dry, bursting irregularly ; seeds very numerous, globose, 

 muriculate. — Sp. about 8 ; 5 in FL B. Ind. 



L. glabrous above. 



Stip. divided into setaceous segm. . . . 1. N. ZEYLANICUS. 



Stip. ovate, often bifid 2. N. Wightii. 



L. hairy on both sides. 



Cor.-lobes \ as long as cal 3. N. Gardneri. 



Cor.-lobes as long as cal 4. N. Championii. 



1. N. zeylanicus. Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 174 (1837). 



Am. in Ann. Nat. Hist. iii. 21. Thw. Enum. 138. C. P. 286. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 47. Ic. Plant, t. 174. 



Stem 3-4 in., slender, erect, ringed with stipular scars ; 

 1. closely placed, 4-7 in., linear-lanceolate, much tapering 

 below, acuminate, acute, slightly undulate, crenate, glabrous 

 above, paler and pubescent on the prominent veins beneath, 

 petiole \-\ in., pubescent, purple, stip. green, divided almost 

 to base into setaceous, rather rigid, spreading segm. ; fl. on 

 rather long pubescent ped., racemes, erect, few-flowered, lax, 

 shorter than 1., bracts linear-setaceous, rather shorter than 

 ped., cal.-segm. \ in., lanceolate, acuminate; cor.-lobes about 

 half as long as cal.-segm., acute. 



Moist region up to 4000 ft.; rare. Diyabetene, Sabaragamuwa ; 

 Opatte, S. Prov.; Adam's Peak (Walker). Fl. March; white. 

 Endemic. 



2. N. Wig-htii, Am. in Ann. Nat. Hist. iii. 22 (1839). 

 Thw. Enum. 138. C. P. 595. 



Fl. B. Ind. iii. 47. Wight, Ic. t. 52 (N. Hookeriana). 



Stems 3-8 in., semi-woody below, stout, marked with leaf- 

 scars, the internodes often developed; 1. large, 6-12 in., lance- 

 olate, very much tapering to base, acuminate, acute, entire, 

 glabrous above, paler and pubescent on the veins beneath, 

 petiole obscure, stip. very large, foliaceous, ovate, acuminate; 

 often with a filiform point, sometimes separated into their 

 constituent pairs; fl. on pubescent ped., crowded, racemes 

 dense, very much shorter than 1., bracts large ovate, acumin- 



