366 Rubiacece. [Lasianthus. 



Branches puberulous or nearly glabrous, compressed when 

 young; 1. 3-5 in., lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, tapering to 

 base, long-acuminate, very acute almost mucronate at apex, 

 coriaceous, glabrous on both sides or midrib beneath slightly 

 pubescent, lat. veins 6-8, slender, petiole very short ; fl. in 

 crowded fascicles without bracts; cal. pubescent, segm. short, 

 triangular, rather obtuse; berry small, \-\ in., nearly globose, 

 truncate at top, tipped with tooth-like cal.-segm., glabrous. 



Moist region up to 5000ft.; rather common. FL Dec-March; white. 



Endemic. 



A narrow-leaved form (var. lanceolatus, Hk. f.) is as frequent as the 

 type. The C. P. numbers 80 and 1728 are quoted for this in FL B. Ind., 

 but are again quoted for L. strigosus, and C. P. 290 is also given there for 

 L. Walkerianus. These numbers are not now represented in Herb. 

 Perad., but were originally included by Thwaites under L. varians. 



5. Xi. Gardner!, Hk. f. Fl. B. Ind. 186 (i{ 

 Mephitidia Gardneri, Thw. Enum. 145. L. slrigosus, Thw. Enum. 



420 (part). C. P. 348, 3985 (?)• 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 186. 



Branches stout, much compressed when young, more or 

 less covered with brown hair, becoming glabrous ; 1. rather 

 large, 4-7 in., lanceolate, acute at both ends, shortly acuminate, 

 glabrous above, more or less hairy on veins beneath, coria- 

 ceous, lat. veins 5-7, strong, very prominent beneath, petiole 

 \ in., stip. narrowly triangular, acute, hairy; fl. sessile, in small, 

 dense, crowded clusters; cal. hairy, segm. narrowly triangular, 

 acute; berry not seen. 



Upper montane zone ; rare. Adam's Peak (Gardner) ; Nuwara 

 Eliya; Morowak Korale. Fl. July. 



Endemic. 



Thwaites ultimately made one species of this and his M. tomentosa 

 (L. Thwaitesii), and considered it to be L. strigosus, Wight. They are 

 certainly very closely allied. 



6. Xi. oliganthus, Thw. Enw7i. 420 (1864). 



Mephitidia oligantha, Thw. Enum. 146 (excl. var. /3). C. P. 357. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 186. 



Branches slender, slightly rough with adpressed hair; 1. 

 2-4 in., acute or obtuse at base, acuminate, acute, with long 

 acuminate apex, quite glabrous, rather thin, lat. veins 4 or 5, 

 stip. small, narrow; fl. solitary (or 2 or 3), very small, sessile; 

 cal.-segm. narrowly triangular, acute; berry very small, about 

 \ in., depressed, truncate at top. 



Moist region, 1000-4000 ft.; common. Hantane (Gardner); about 

 Peradeniya; Palabadala; Morowak Korale. Fl. March. 

 Endemic. 

 Seems to flower but rarely. 



