340 Rubiaceez. \Knoxia* 



32. K.NOXIA, Linn. 



Annual or perennial herbs or undershrubs, stip. with rigid 

 bristle-like teeth ; fl. sessile or nearly so, small, dimorphic, 

 numerous, in terminal cymes or spikes ; cal.-segm. 4, one often 

 greatly enlarged; cor.-tube hairy at mouth, lobes 4, short, 

 valvate; stam, 4; ov. 2-celled, with 1 pendulous ovule in each 

 cell, stigmas 2; fruit very small, dry, of 2 indehiscent carp, 

 separating from a central persistent columella and usually also 

 from one another. — Sp. 8 ; all in Fl. B, Ind. 



Cal.-segm. nearly equal. 



L. sessile, linear-lanceolate 1. K. corymbosa. 



L. stalked, oval 2. K. MOLLIS. 



One cal.-segm. greatly enlarged. 



Fl. in long spikes ; fruit not compressed . . 3. K. ZEYLANICA. 



Fl. in capitate cymes; fruit compressed . . 4. K. platycarpa. 



The fruit is remarkably like that of an Umbellifer. 



1. K. corymbosa, Willd. Sp. PI. i. 582 (1797). 



Moon Cat. 10. K. stricta, Thw. Enurn. 152 (? Gaertn.). C. P. 3620. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 128. Wight, 111. t. 128. 



An erect annual, 2-4 ft. high, almost unbranched, stem 

 rather stout, with elongated internodes, densely and softly 

 hairy; 1. few, distant, 3-4^ in., sessile or very nearly, linear- 

 lanceolate or linear, much attenuate at both ends, acute, 

 usually hairy on both sides, lat. veins very oblique, stip. with 

 3-5 filiform hairy bristles ; fl. very small, numerous, on sides 

 of slender branches of large lax corymbose cymes; cal.-segm. 

 minute, triangular, none enlarged ; cor.-lobes obtuse ; fruit 

 xq in., oblong-ovoid, scarcely compressed, splitting from the 

 base into two carp., carp, plano-convex, glabrous, not ribbed 

 on back. 



Low country and up to 4000 ft.; rather common. Bintenne; Ugal- 

 duva Valley ; Ramboda. Moon's locality is Walapane. Fl. Feb.; violet. 



Also in India, Malay Islands, and Trop. Australia. 



The mericarps readily separate from the columella when ripe with the 

 slightest pressure. 



2. K. mollis, W. &> A. Prod. 439 (1834). 



K. corymbosa, Thw. Enum. 151 (non Willd.). C. P. 3619. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 129. 



Annual, 2-4 ft, branched, stem erect, pilose or nearly 

 glabrous ; 1. 2J-4J in., oval or ovate-oval, tapering at both 

 ends, acute, slightly hairy on both sides, petiole ^-1 in., stip. 



* Commemorates Robert Knox, who was in captivity among the 

 Kandians from 1659-79, and wrote an ' Historical Relation of Ceylon, 1 

 published in 1681, giving an account of his experiences and escape. 



