173 



and males, males commonly shorter than the leaves, erect or at 

 length pendulous, hoary, androgynous ones increased at the base 

 by 1 — 4 female bracts : female spikes lax flowered, 5 — ;8-bracteate : 

 female bracts 1-flowered, ^exceeding the capsule, reniform crenate- 

 denticulate : male calyx pubescent externally : ovary densely 

 hairy and scattered with waxy glands : styles pectinate with long 

 slashes : capsules hoary tomentose : seeds smooth. 



Peninsula, near Madras and Pondicherry. Mysore. Carnatic. 

 (3) A. CAMTATA. (WilU.) 



Ident. Willd. Spec. pi. iv. p. 625.— Dec. 1. c. p. 843. 



Spec. Chae. Shrub : branchlets pubescent or hispidulous : 

 leaves very shortly petioled, ovate, obtuse, very small, obtusely 

 serrated : male spikes shortly pedicelled, axiUary, females termi- 

 nal, sessile, short, few-flowered : female bracts l-flowered, fructi- 

 gerous; exceeding the capsule by about one half, 7 — 9-lobed: 

 male calyx pubescent externally : ovary silky-hairy : styles shortly 

 fimbriated-lacinulate. 



Mysore. Carnatic. Malabar. 



(4) A. ALMFOMA. {Willd) 



Ident. Willd, Spec. 1. c— Dec. 1. c. p. 843. 

 'Engrm. Hook. Comp. II. t. 29. 



Spec. Chae. Shrub : branchlets and petioles hispid, with 

 long horizontal hairs : leaves longish-petioled, orbicular-ovate, 

 obtuse or very shortly acute, slightly cut and serrated, membra- 

 naceous, hairy on the ribs and margin : spikes unisexual, axillary, 

 males peduncled, females terminal, shortened, bearing about 4 — 7 

 bracts: female bracts l-flowered, about 5-lobed to the middle, 

 lobes ovate obtuse : male calyx papillose : ovary silky-hispid : 

 styles very long, shortly fimbriate-lacinulate the whole length : 

 capsule hispid : seeds largish, subglobose, smooth. 



Grolden Eock, near Trichinopoly, rare. 



(5) A. Indica. (^Linn.) 



Ident. Linn. Spec. pi. p. 1003.— Dec. 1. c. p. 868.— Eoxb. flor. 

 Ind. III. p. 675. 



Syn. A. spicata, ForsJc. Deser. p. 160. 



Ungrav. "Wight's Icon. t. 877. 



Spec. Chae. Annual or perennial : glabrescent or pubescent : 

 leaves rhomb-ovate, acute or obtuse at the apex, coarsely serrated, 

 membranaceous, petioles longer than the limb : spikes sessile, 

 loosely bract-bearing, males at the apex by a short space : female 

 bracts 3 — 5-flowered, fructigerous, very broadly truncate-obovate, 

 campanulate, far exceeding the capsules, at length coarsely repand- 



