800 BENGAL PLANTS. [Acanthus. 
693. Acanthus Linn. 
Erect or twining herbs or shrubs ; leaves pinnatifid, toothed, 
spinous, rarely entire. Flowers in terminal or pseudo-axillary, 
densely strobilate or interrupted spikes; bracts large, ovate, 
spinescent, or sm: racteoles large, lanceolate, sometimes obso- 
lete. Sepals 4, shortly connate below in 2 opposite pairs, the 
outer the larger. Petals 5, connate in a 2-lipped corolla; tube 
pp 
short, ovoid, rigid; upper lip subobsolete, lower blue or white, 
elongate, obovate, shortly obtusely 3-lobed. Stamens 4, didy- 
namous, shorter than the lower lip; filaments stout, narrowed, 
curved below the anther, not produced at apex; anthers oblong, 
1-celled, bearded. Disk 0. Carpels connate in a 2-celled ovary ; 
ovules 2 in each cell; style acute at the tip; stigma shortly 2-fid. 
it an ellipsoid, compressed capsule, brown, shining. Seeds 4, 
compressed, orbicular, glabrous ; testa lax. s 
Leaves toothed or pinnatifid, spinous, holly-like, base of ann usually 
spinous; bracteoles broad-lanceolate ; corolla blue ; stems e 
licifolius. 
Leaves entire, not sprue base of petiole unarmed ; bracteoles re corolla 
white or rose; stems t volubilis 
1513. OLS ILIcrFroLivus Linn. ; F. I. iii. 82; F. B. I. iv. 481; 4 
A, 824, : 
Garsisinnes | 
A shrub, ja clawdps in taietbiente swamps. Beng. Harkuch : 
kanta, hargoza. 
1514, Acanruus vouusitis Wall.; F. B. I. iv. 481. 
undribuns. 
A shrub, twining among reeds in littoral swamps. 
694. Hygrophila RK. Br. 
Herbs, occasionally spinescent ; leaves opposite, lanceolate or 
obovate, entire. Flowers sessile, erminal heads or axillary 
whorls ; bracts elliptic or peerereier bracteoles oblong or lanceo- 
ee shorter than ¢ als connate in a tubular, 5-fid, rarely 
4-partite rental ; lobes lasibautets or linear. Petals connate in a 
swollen at the. apex; lips oblong, straight. Stamens 4,  diay- 
namous, posterior pair like the anterior or smaller or rudimentary ; 
filaments glabrous; anthers oblong, cells equal, divaricate or — 
