Xasianthus.] RllbiaceCB. 367 



7. L, obliquus, Thw. Enum. 420 (1864). 



Mephitidia oligantha, var. obliqua, Thw. Enum. 146. C. P. 3418. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 192. 



Stems slender, nearly cylindrical, much branched, more 

 or less strigose with adpressed hair, buds hairy; 1. 2\-^\ in., 

 nearly sessile, ovate or oblong-ovate, cordate and unequal- 

 sided at base, acuminate, acute, glabrous and very shining 

 above, pale and with the veins finely pubescent beneath, 

 rather thin but stiff, lat. veins 4 or 5, much curved, fine and 

 slender but prominent, stip. very small, soon falling ; fl. very 

 small, sessile, solitary (or 2 or 3) ; cal.-segm. small, triangular, 

 acute ; cor.-lobes shorter than tube ; berry \ in., depressed- 

 globose, crowned with tooth-like cal.-segm., smooth, very soft, 

 black, pyrenes nodular on surface. 



Moist region up to 3000ft.; rather rare. Singhe Raja Forest; near 

 Balangoda; Morowak Korale; Madagatte, S. Prov. ; Kitulgala. Fl. 

 March, April ; white. 



Endemic. 



8. Xi. strigosus, Wight in Calc. Joitm. Nat. Hist. vi. 512 (1845). 

 Mephitidia strigosa, Thw. Enum. 146. L. Walkerianus, Thw. 



Enum. 420. C. P. 1725. 

 Fl. B. Ind. iii. 189. 



Stems more or less strigose with adpressed hair, cylindrical, 

 stout; 1. large, 3-6 in., oblong-lanceolate, acute at base, acu- 

 minate,mucronate (the midrib protruded), glabrous and shining 

 above, paler and strongly pubescent on veins beneath, lat. 

 veins 7-9 (usually 8), spreading, strongly marked, as are also 

 the connecting veinlets, petiole about \ in., stip. small, trian- 

 gular, acuminate ; fl. largest in the genus, sessile, crowded ; 

 cal. slightly pubescent, limb broadly tubular, truncate, ciliate, 

 segm. small, tooth-like ; cor. hairy outside, tube \ in., lobes 

 shorter than tube ; berry \ in., nearly globose, crowned with 

 tubular cal. -limb fwhich is sometimes deciduous). 



Var. j3, protractus, Hk. f. Mephitidia fir otracta, Thw. Enum. 146. 

 L. protractus, Thw. Enum. 420 (in part). C. P. 354. 



L. 6-8 in., very much attenuate to apex, lat. veins very 

 oblique. 



Moist and intermediate country from 1000-5000 ft.; common, and 

 often gregarious. Fl. all the year; white. 



Endemic. 



This is the only species that extends beyond the moist region. In 

 woods north of Kurunegala and on the slopes of the isolated Ritigala 

 Mountain, it forms the principal undergrowth. Var. /3 was collected by 

 Gardner, but the locality is doubtful; the specimens are too imperfect 

 to enable it to be referred to this species with any certainty. Often (like 

 other Rubiaceas) called 'Wal-kopi' by the Sinhalese. The upper surface 

 of the leave. is sometimes beautifully variegated with yellow. 



