LXIV. RUBIACE^. 751 



9. OPHIORRHIZA, Linn. 



( Snake- L'oot.) 



Calyx-limb of 5 persistent lobes or teeth. Corolla-tube slender; lobes 5, 

 valvate in the bud. Anthers included in the corolla-tube. Ovary 2-celled, with 

 several ovules in laeh cell, attached to a placenta ascending from near the base. 

 Style usually included, with 2 stigmatic lobes. Capsule much flattened and very 

 broad, almost 2-lobed, opening loculicidally in 2 valves. Seeds several, angular. 

 — Herbs or low straggling shrubs. Stipules united with the petioles in a very 

 short truncate sheath, either entire or occasionally with 1 or 2 long hair-like 

 points. Flowers sessile along the branches of terminal or rarely axillary pedun- 

 culate cymes. 



A considerable genus, extending over tropical and eastern subtropical Asia. The only 

 Australian species is endemic, although nearly allied to an East Indian one. — Benth. 



1. O. australiana (Australian), Benth. A low shrub with weak branches, 

 the younger ones rusty-tomentose with short crisped hairs. Leaves ovate- 

 lanceolate or elliptical, acutely acuminate, narrowed into a rather long petiole, 

 mostly 2 to Sin. long, but those of the same pair often unequal, sprinkled with 

 appressed hairs on the upper side, pale underneath, with the veins more or less 

 hirsute. Stipules with long haiir-like points. Cymes pedunculate, shorter than 

 the leaves. Bracts small, setaceous. Calyx-lobes linear, about as long as the 

 hirsute tube. Corolla nearly glabrous outside, the tube scarcely above 1 line 

 long, the lobes rather shorter, tomentose inside. Fruit about 3 lines broad and 

 scarcely above 1 line long. 



Hab.: Eockinghani Bay, Dallachy : Bellenden Ker, JK. Hill ; Barron Eiver, E. Cowleij. 



The species is nearly allied to the common Indian 0. Mungos, which, however, appears to 

 have the leaves always glalirous. and the corolla-lobes much shorter. — Benth. 



> 



10. ABBOTTIA, F. v. M. 



(After F. Abbott, Director Hobart Botanical Gardens.) 



Calyx-limb cylindrical, persistent, truncate. Corolla-lobes 4, induplicate- 

 valvate, semilanceolate ; tube cylindrical. Stamens 4. Filaments adnate to the 

 lower part of corolla. Anthers cohering, at length free, sagittate-linear, basilixed, 

 dehiscing longitudinally inside. Style very short. Stigmas together forming a 

 very short subulate one. Berry l-celled, many-seeded. Pulp granulose. Seeds 

 pendulous, cylindrical, all collateral. Albumen none. Embryo terete, 



A monotypic genus. 



1. A. singularis (peculiar), F. i-. M. Frwjm. ix. 181. A tree of about 

 30ft., often flowering as a shrub. Leaves 2 to Sin. long, tapering into a petiole 

 of about lin., the midrib thick, lateral nerves and veins scarcely showing, upper 

 side glossy, under side of a paler green. Stipules almost lin. long, narrow, 

 gradually acute, cyliiidrically convolute. Cymes shortly pedunculate, bearing 

 from 3 to 5 flowers. Calyx 1| line long. Corolla beardless ; tube 6 to 10 lines 

 long, slightly attenuated towards the base ; lobes reflexed or at length revolute, 

 gradually acuminate, with wing-like membranous margins, papillose-cristate on 

 the face. Filaments glabrolis; anthers about 2 lihes long. Style with the 

 undivided stigmatic lobes about 2 lines long. Ovary cylindrical, glabrous. 

 Berry quite inferior, slightly compressed, with the limb 3 to 4 lines high and 4 to 

 5 lines broad, not very juicy. Pericarp almost membranous. Pulp granulous, 

 dark-red, glossy. Placenta terminal. Seeds scarcely over 1^ line ; testa 

 rugulous, thin-ehartaoeous. 



Hab.: Mountains about Eockingham Bay, /, Dallachy (F. v. M,) 



