364 RubiaceCB. \Lasianthus. 



42. LASZANTHUS,M 



Shrubs, 1. usually much acuminate, with arching lat-veins 

 connected by transverse veinlets, stip. more or less triangular, 

 fl. small, sessile or nearly so, in axillary, usually sessile heads 

 or cymes; cal.-segm. 4 (or 5), persistent; cor.-tube funnel- 

 shaped, villous in throat, lobes 4 (or 5), hairy ; stam. inserted 

 in cor.-throat, fil. short, anth. oblong; ov. 4- (or 5-) celled, 

 crowned with large fleshy disk, with 1 erect ovule in each cell, 

 stigma 4- (or 5-) lobed; fruit a small berry, containing 4 or 5 

 bony triquetrous pyrenes. — Sp. 80 ; 5 2 in Fl. B. Ind. 



I have mainly followed the Fl. B. Ind. in this difficult genus, but feel 

 no certainty as to the limitations or characters of Sp. 2-8. These dingy, 

 unattractive shrubs form an undergrowth in shady forests, and require 

 further investigation; I do not find the cal.-segm. or number of lat. veins 

 very constant. All our species are considered to be endemic, but a 

 critical comparison with those of S. India is needed. 



Fl. surrounded with long bracts ; cymes peduncled 1. L. MOONII. 

 Fl. without bracts. 

 Cymes sessile. 

 Cal.-segm. linear-lanceolate. 

 L. thick, hairy beneath 

 L. thin, glabrous beneath . 

 Cal.-segm. triangular. 

 Cal.-segm. obtuse 

 Cal.-segm. acute. 



L. not cordate at base. 



L. hairy beneath ; fl. in clusters 

 L. glabrous ; fl. usually solitary 

 L. cordate at base . 

 Cal.-segm. tooth-like (limb truncate) 

 Cymes on a short peduncle 



1. Xi. Moonii, Wight in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. vi. 504 (1845). 

 Mephitidia Moonii, Thw. Enum. 145, 420. C. P. 92, 3997. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 180. 



A slightly branched shrub, branches stout, usually very 

 hispid with shaggy hair ; 1. 3-6 in., oval or lanceolate, acute 

 or rounded at base, acuminate, subacute, more or less hispid 

 on both sides, especially beneath, often bullate above, lat. 

 veins 7 or 8, very prominent beneath, petiole \ in., with thick 

 spreading coarse hair, stip. ovate, obtuse, hairy, caducous; 

 cymes dense, capitate on short, stout, hispid peduncles or 

 nearly sessile, several in each axil, bracts numerous, as long 

 as fl., the outer ones broady ovate, the others linear, very 

 strongly hispid or ciliate with coarse hair; cal.-segm. long, 

 linear, acuminate, hispid ; cor.-lobes short ; berry \ in., broadly 

 ovoid, hispid, scarlet. 



. 2. 



• 3- 



L. Thwaitesii. \ \ 



L. RHINOPHYLLUS. 



. 4. 



L. Walkerianus. 



• 5. 



. 6. 



• 7- 

 . 8. 



• 9- 



L. Gardneri. 



L. OLIGANTHUS. 

 L. OBLIQUUS. 

 L. STRIGOSUS. 

 L. VARIANS. 



