332 Sphenodesme. 



the throat; ovary 2-celled, the cells 2-ovuled, ovary and 

 cells 1-loculated near the apex; style filiform, short or 

 long, with bifid stigma; capsule or capsular drupe included 

 in the calyx, indehiscent. with 1, rarely 2 seeds, without 

 albumen; exocarp coriaceous. 



Distribution: -British India, Malayan Peninsula! and 

 western part of Archipelago! 



As there is always 1 terminal flower and each bract sup- 

 ports a flower, the number of the latter is always 1 more than 

 that of the bracts. So in S. triflora there are 2 (3-lobed) bracts, 

 and 3 flowers; in the other species there are 6 simple bracts, 

 and 7 (or in the head with 2 connatcd bracts 6) flowers. 



1. a. Heads 3-flowered; leaves 4-nerved, 7 — 13 by 2.8 — 5 cM.; 



petioles 1 cM.; adult glabrous on both sides 



1. . S, triflora p. 332. 

 b. Heads 6—7- flowered; leaves 4—10 by 1.8—5 cM. . 2. 



2. a. Calyx 5-toothed, with a horn-like tooth recurved from 



each sinus 3. 



b. Calyx 5-toothed, withouthorn-like teeth, 10-ribbed, ferrugi- 

 nous-pubescent and glandular without, minutely pubescent 

 within, corolla-lobes pubescent without 2. S. barbata p. 333. 



3. a. Calyx 5-ribbed; corolla-lobes glabrous without; throat 



httle villous ....... 3. S. Griffithiana 334. 



b. Calyx 10-ribbed; teeth ciliate ; throat of corolla very 

 densely villous 4. S. pentandra p. 335. 



1. S. triflora Wight, Ic. t. 1478 (1850); Hook, f., Fl. 

 Br. ind. IV, 601; King and Gamble, Journ. As. Soc. 

 Beng. LXXIV, 4, 861; Miquel, Fl. Ind. bat., II, 910. - 

 A climbing, sometimes erect shrub ; branchlets and petioles 

 minutely brownish-pubescent; leaves chartaceous, lanceolate 

 or lanceolate-oblong, base cuneate or subtruncate, apex 

 acuminate, glabrous on both sides, pairs of nerves 4; 

 7 — 13 by 2.8—5 cM., petioles 1 cM. ; panicles very long, 

 grey-pubescent, the lower branches leafed with ordinary 

 leaves, the upper ones with gradually smaller leaves or 

 leafy bracts, supporting opposite, peduncled capitules; 



