, ACANTHACEAE 433 



a small nearly globose bladder near the base. Scaps erect, emerging above 

 the surface of the water, 6 to 15 cm long. Flowers few, yellow, racemosely 

 arranged, about 12 mm long. ' •: 



In ditches, slow streams of fresh water etc., fl. Feb.-May; widely dis- 

 tributed m the Philippines. India and Ceylon to southern China, Malaya, 

 and Australia. 



2. U. bifida L. 



A slender erect annual plant, the scapes 6 to 20 cm high, the leaves 

 radical, hnear-spathulate, 1 .cm long or less, usually absent at tinie of 

 flowering. Flowers yellow, racemose, few. Calyx 2-lobed, the lobes about 

 8 mm long, ovate or obovate, rounded, subequal, accrescent and enclosing 

 the capsule. Corolla, including the spur, 6 to 7 mm long, the spur as 

 long as the calyx-lobes, somewhat curved. Capsule ovoid, 3 to 4 mm long, 

 enclosed by the calyx-segments. 



In open wet places, San Lazaro, Masambong, etc., fl. Aug.-Dec; widely 

 distributed in the Philippines. India to southern China and Malaya. 



3. U. nivea Vahl. 



A very slender, erect, glabrous, simple annual, the leaves evanescent 

 at_ time of flowering, the scapes 10 to 25 cm high; scales of the scape 2 

 to 3 mm long, about equally, prolonged above and below the point of 

 attachment, pointed at both ends, appressedi Flowers few, racemosely 

 arranged on the upper part of the scape, the pedicels short. Calyx-lobes 

 about 2 mm long, broadly ovate, rounded, entire, pale-greenish. Corolla 

 pale-purple, including the spur 5 to 6 mm long, the upper lip oblong, 

 truncate or obtuse, about 2.5 mm long, the lower lip much larger, entire, 

 strongly recurved, rounded, with a yellow spot at the geniculation, more 

 than one-half as long as the spur. Capsule ovoid, 2 mm long. 



In open wet grass lands. La Loma etc., rare; fl. Oet.-Dec; India and 

 Ceylon to southern China and Malaya. 



4. U. tenerrima Merr. 



A very slender, twining, glabrous, annual plant, leafless at time of 

 flowering, 3 to 15 cm high, the scales on the scape few, basifixed, ovate, 

 concave, about i mm long. Flowers blue, scattered, shortly pedicelled. 

 Sepals green, ovate, about 2.5 mm long, in fruit up to 4.5 mm long. Upper 

 lip of the corolla about 3 mm long, the apical part oblong, obtuse, the 

 lower lip reflexed, entire, about 3 mm long and 3 mm wide (spread), 

 the spur about 2 mm long. Capsule ovoid, slightly compressed, 2.5 mm long. 



In open wet grass lands, near La Loma, twining on grasses and other 

 plants, fl. Aug.-Sept. Known in the 'Philippines only from the vicinity of 

 Manila. India. 



129. ACANTHACEAE (Acanthus or Diliuario Family) 



Herbs or shrubs, erect, scandent, or prostrate. Leaves opposite, entire 

 or somewhat Tobed, exstipulate. Flowers bracteate and 2-bracteolate, or 

 "these sometimes wanting", variously paniculate, racemose, or spicatd, rarely 

 solitary. Calyx 5-partite, or (in Thunhergia) small, or reduced to a mere 

 ring. Corolla 2-lipped, or subequally 5-lo,bed, the lobes imbricated or 

 twisted in bud. Stamens 4 or 2, inserted on the corolla-tube; anthers. 2- 

 or 1 -celled, cells sometimes remote. Ovary superior, 2-celled; ovules 1 or 

 more in each cell. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, the valves often recurved, 

 carrying the seeds on the half -septa. Seeds (except m Thunhergia) hard, 



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