3 JO Rllbl&Cece. \Spermacoce. 



withering. The colour of the fruit is an intense metallic lapis-lazuli blue. 

 A small, narrow-leaved form occurs in the higher mountains. 



44. KYDROFKYLAX, Linn. f. 



A prostrate perennial herb, stip. large, adnate to 1., forming 

 a sheath; fl. rather large, solitary, axillary; cal.-segm. 4, long, 

 persistent ; cor.-tube broadly funnel-shaped, with a ring of 

 hair at mouth, lobes 4, valvate, stam. 4, inserted in throat of 

 cor., fil. slender, exserted ; ov. 2-celled, with a single ovule in 

 each cell peltately attached to septum, stigma 2-lobed ; fruit 

 dry, corky, compressed with sharp edges, 2-celled, 2-seeded. — 

 Sp. 3 ; 1 in Fl. B. Ind. 



H. maritima, L.f. Suppl. Plant. 126 (1781). Xftudu-g-£takola, S. 



Sarissus anceps, Gaertn. Fruct. i. 118. Moon Cat. 10. Thw. Enum. 

 151. C. P. 1672. 



Fl. B. Ind. iii. 199. Wight, Ic. t. 760. 



Perennial herb, stems numerous, prostrate, rooting at 

 nodes, much-branched, cylindrical, stout, succulent, glabrous ; 

 1. \-\ in., sessile, more or less recurved, spathulate-oval, acute, 

 very fleshy, smooth or slightly papillose, stip. large, forming 

 with adnate l.-bases a cup round the stem, truncate, slightly 

 ciliate, persistent; fl. sessile; cal.-segm. linear -lanceolate, 

 acute, rather shorter than ov. ; cor.-lobes ovate, acute, much 

 shorter than tube; ov. 4-angled, glabrous; fruit \ in., oblong- 

 ovoid, much compressed, crowned with large cal.-segm., with 

 3 prominent ribs on each side, glabrous and shining. 



Sandy seashores; common round the island. Fl. all the year; 

 pinkish-lilac. 



Also in S. India. 



Gaertner gives as the Sinhalese name for this, ' Hin-taccada.' 



45. SPER9IACOCE, Linn. 

 Annual herbs, stems quadrangular, stip. adnate to l.-base, 

 forming a cup round the stem, strongly ciliate or pectinate ; 

 fl. small, sessile in axillary clusters, forming whorls; cal.-segm. 

 4, linear; cor.-tube long, lobes 4, valvate; stam. 4, inserted in 

 throat of cor., ov. 2-celled, with a single ovule in each cell ; 

 fruit a small dry capsule, septicidally dehiscent into 2 carp., 

 one or both of which again dehisces ventrally; seeds oblong, 

 with a groove down ventral surface. — Sp. 150; 4 in Fl.B.Ind. 



Capsule with both carp, ventrally dehiscent. 



L. linear; capsule ^ in 1. S. stricta. 



L. oval ; capsule ^ in 2. S. ocymoides. 



Capsule with only one carp, ventrally dehiscent . . 3. S. hispida. 



