Sesamum.] cviii. pedalinikj!. (C. B. Clarke.) - 387 



4-oelled. Seeds numerous, obliquely oblong. — Distbib. Species 10, Indian 

 and tropical or southern Africa. 



1. S. Indicum, DC. Prod/r. ix. 250; erect, leaves oblong or ovate 

 lower often pedatisect, capsule tetragonous oblong, seeds brown smooth. 

 Wall. Cat. 6408; Wight III. t. 163; Bot. Mag. t. 1688; Balz. S( Gibs. 

 Bomb. Fl. 161. S. orientale, Linn. ; GaertH. Fruct. ii. 132, 1. 110 ; Lamk. 

 III. t. 528; Boxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 100. S. luteum, Betz. Obs. vi. 31 ; BC. I. c. 

 8. oocidentale, Heer Sf Begel ; BC. I. c. ; Thwaites Enum. 442. — Eumph. 

 Eerb.Amboin. t. 76, fig. 1. Bheede Sort. Mai. ix. tt. 54, 55. 



Throughout the warmer parts of India and CBTioif, cultivated. — Disteib. 

 Cultivated in all hot countries. Native country doubtful, probably Asiatic. 



Height 1-2 ft., pubescent or puberulous. Leaves 3-5 in., variable on the same 

 plant ; upper often narrowly oblong subentire, middle ovate toothed, lower lobed or 

 pedatisect; petiole J-2 in. Pedicels 5 in., solitary, rarely 2-3-nate. Sepals \ in., 

 lanceolate. OorollaX^ in., pubescent, whiteish or with red purplish or yellow marks. 

 Capsule 1 by J in., erect, scabrid-pilose, the same width from top to bottom, usually 

 shortly acuminate; 2-valved half-way down, or sometimes to the base, or ultimately 

 4-valved. 



2. S. laciniatum, Klein ; Willd. 8p. PI. iii. 359 ; prostrate, hispid, 

 leaves ovate lobed and deeply subpedately pinnatifid, capsule ovoid 

 compressed, seeds black reticulate. BC.t Prodr. iz. 209; Wight Ic. 

 t. 1345. 



S. Deooait PbninSTJLA, Mottler, WigM, &c. ; Cochin, Johnstone. 



Appressedly prostrate, 1-3 ft., branching. Leaves |-li in., orbicular or elliptic 

 in outline, laciniations acute ; petiole 0-^ in. Pedicels ^ in., solitary. Sepals jfin., 

 lanceolate. Corolla 1 in., minutely pubescent, purple, yellow in the palate. Cap- 

 sule i by 5 in., scabrous-pilose, shortly mucronate^ valves 2, dorsally compressed. 



3. S. prostratum, Setz. Obs. iv. 28 ; prostrate, villous, leaves 

 orbicular or obovate crenate or obtusely lobed with white indumentum 

 beneath, capsule ovoid compressed, seeds black reticulate. Wall. Cat. 

 6409 ; Wight Ic. t. 1346. 



Madras ; especially on sandhills near the sea, Softler, Wight, Shuter. 



Closely allied to S. laciniatum, and hardly separable therefrom by the characters 

 given. The leaves are generally entire, sometimes 3-lobed half-way ; the teeth never 

 sharp as in S., laciniatum. 



Obdeb. CIX. ACANTKACXSS;. (By 0. B. Clarke.) 



Herbs or shrubs, rarely trees. Leaves opposite, exstipulate, very rarely 

 divided- Flowers rarely solitary, bracteate and 2-bracteolate. Calyx 

 6-partite (in Thunbergia small often multifid). Corolla 2-lipped, or sub- 

 equally 5-lobed ; lobes imbricated or twisted in bud. Stamens 4 or 2, 

 inserted on the corolla-tube ; anthers 2- or 1-celled ; cells sometimes remote. 

 Bisc often conspicuous. Ovary superior, 2-celled ; style filiform, notched or 

 bifid (1 branch often obsolete); ovules .one or more in each [cell, 1- or 2- 

 seriate, anatropous. Capsule loculicidal ; valves often elastically recurved, 

 carrying the seeds on the half-septa. Seeds (except in Thunbergia and 

 the Nelsoniece) hard, seated on upcurved subacute supports (retinacula), 

 ovoid or compressed, testa smooth rugose or warted rarely hispid, often 

 clothed with white elastic hairs (best seen when wetted), albumen (except 

 Nelsoniece) ; radicle next the.hilum.^Speoies 1500, in the tropical and warm 

 temperate regions. 



c c 2 



