16 Flora of the Malayan Peninsula. 
8. ACHYRANTHES, Linn. 
Herbs, sometimes woody below. Leaves opposite, petiolate, entire. 
Flowers hermaphrodite, in slender simple and panicled spikes, soon 
deflexed: bracts membranous, spinescent, persistent on the rachis; 
bracteoles 2, spinescent. Perianth segments 5, lanceolate, aristate. 
rigid, somewhat connate below, ultimately ribbed and hardened. 
Stamens 2—5; filaments filiform, connate at the membranous base and 
alternating with as many square staminodes which are toothed 
lacerate or with a toothed scale at the back; anthers2-celled. Ovary 
oblong, subcompressed, 1-celled; ovule solitary, pendulous from a long 
basal funicle ; style filiform; stigma capitellate. Fruit an oblong or 
ovoid utricle, apex rounded or areolate. Seed inverse, oblong: testa 
coriaceous, tegmen membranous; embryo annular, surrounding the 
floury albumen ; cotyledons oblong-lanceolate,incurved again; radicle 
erect.—-Distris. About 15 species, tropical and subtropical. 
1. ACHYRANTHES ASPERA, Linn. Sp. Pl. 204 (1753). An erect 
undershrub reaching 30—90 cm. in height; stem stout and woody at 
base, the nodes swollen; branches few, terete or obscure y quadran- 
gular, pubescent, striate. Leaves extremely variable, thick, elliptic 
or obovate sometimes nearly orbicular, rounded or subacute at apex, 
narrowed at base; both surfaces softly pubescent; 3°5—6 em. long, 
2-5—4 cm. broad; main nerves 3—4 pair, obscure; petiole 6—8 mm. 
long. Flowers greenish-white, numerous, stiffly deflexed against the 
woolly rachis, in elongate terminal lengthening spikes, often 50 cna. 
long in fruit; bracts ovate, aristate, membranous, persistent, 3—4 
mm. long; bracteoles broadly ovate with a hard spine as long as er 
slightly longer than the blade, deciduous with the perianth, 3—5 mm. 
long. Perianth-lobes lanceolate, aristate, subequal, with narrow 
membranous margins, 3—6 mm. long. Stamens 5; filaments filiform ; 
staminodes fimbriate; anthers oblong, scarcely 1 mm. long. Ufricle 
oblong-cylindric, membranous, enclosed in the hardened perianth, 2—3 
mm. long. Seed brown; cotyledons long, inflexed. Mog. in DC. 
Prodr. XIIi. 2. 314; Roxb. Fl. Ind. I. 672 and Ed. Carey and Wall. 
II. 496; Dalz. and Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 218; Wight Ic. t. 1777; Trimen 
Fl. Cey!. IIT. 404; Wall. Cat. 6924 excl. H; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. I. 1. 
1042; Hook. f. Fl. Br. Ind. IV. 731: Cooke Bomb. FI. II. 495; Prain 
Beng. Plants 875; Baill. Hist.des Pl. IX. 153. tt. 221—223. ‘Cade- 
lari’ Rheede Hort. Mal. 155, t. 78. 
SincaPoREe: Ridley 10632!—Distrrs. India, Ceylon and all 
tropical regions. 
