302 Rllbiacece. [Fergusonia. 



variable in respect to size, hairiness, width of leaves, and length of 

 petiole, but I cannot see a second species among the forms, as in Fl. 

 B. Ind. 



The flowers are very liable to attack by some insect, which causes the 

 corolla to become an enlarged hard inflated gall. 



ii. rEEGUSONIA,*M/ 



A prostrate herb, stip. rigid, ciliate ; fl. small, solitary- 

 sessile, axillary; cal.-segm. 4, acuminate; cor.-tube tubular- 

 funnel-shaped, with a ring of hair within, lobes 4, valvate; 

 stam. 4, inserted between cor.-lobes, fil. very short ; epigynous 

 disk of 4 prominent lobes ; ov. 4-celled with 1 erect ovule in 

 each cell, style simple, slightly exserted, stigmas 2, filiform ; 

 fruit of 4 separable membranous indehiscent cocci. — Monotypic. 



A very anomalous plant of doubtful position in the Order. 



P. zeylanica, Hk.f. in Ic. Plant, xii. 23 (1876). 



Borreria teti'acocca, Thw. Enum. 442. F. Thwaitesii, Hk. f. in Gen. 

 Plant, ii. 132. C. P. 3859. 



Fl. B. Ind. iii. 48. Hook. Ic. PI. t. 1124. Bedd. Ic. PI.' Ind. or t. 39 

 {Borreria tetracocca). B°fit3a B ' c ™° 



Annual herb, stems procumbent or ascending, rooting at 

 the lower nodes, i-2\ ft. long, slightly branched, finely ciliate 

 on the angles, pinkish; 1. f-i^in., narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 

 subsessile, tapering to base, acute, glabrous above, sparingly 

 bristly-hairy beneath, finely spinous-ciliate on edge, stip. § in., 

 lanceolate-linear, setaceous, rigid, strongly ciliate, persistent ; 

 fl. very small, sessile, solitary; cal.-segm. lanceolate, acute, 

 ciliate with coarse bristly hairs; cor.-lobes oval, acute, with a 

 few hairs on the back ; fruit-cocci very small, pyriform, bristly 

 on top, readily separating, and each bearing on top a single 

 persistent cal.-segm. 



Moist low country in dry places ; apparently rather rare. Near 

 Colombo (Ferguson); Labugama; Karawita. Fl. Sept.-Jan. ; very pale 

 pink. 



Also found in Coorg. 



Of Sir J. Hooker's two names, F. Thwaitesii is apparently the older, 

 but he uses F. zeylanica in Fl. B. Ind. 



This insignificant but curious plant much resembles Hedyotis nitida 

 and also Sper??iacoce hispida and S. stricta in habit. 



* Commemorates the late W. Ferguson, F.L.S., of Colombo, for many 

 years a diligent and very successful investigator of the flora of Ceylon, 

 who died July 31st, 1887. 



