48(5 Contributions towards a Flora of Ceylon. 



Descr. — Suffruticose, unbranched, from 6-12 inches high. Stem 

 round, glabrous below, villous tomentose above. Leaves opposite, 

 one a little smaller than the other, petiolate, oblong, cuneate at the 

 base, obtuse or acute, entire pennivenous, veins about 10 on each 

 side, intervenium highly reticulated, shining above, and pilose, at 

 length becoming nearly glabrous, beneath whitish, and minutely 

 pubescently tomentose, margin slightly ciliated, from 6-7 inches 

 long, and from 15-22 lines broad. Petioles 8-12 lines long, tomen- 

 tose. Peduncles axillary, solitary or in pairs, shorter than the leaves, 

 pilose, two or three times trichotomously divided. Pedicels slender, 

 4-10 lines long, glabrous, or villous particularly under the flower. 

 Calyx free, deeply 5 -parted, lobes linear- subulate, striated, about 1\ 

 lines long, bearing externally a few long, pellucid, articulated hairs, 

 persistent. Corolla hypogynous, gamo-petalous, rotate, regular. Tube 

 very short. Limb deeply 4-parted, lobes oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, 

 striated, longer than the lobes of the calyx. Stamens 4, equal, inserted 

 on the tube of the corolla alternately with its lobes, included. An- 

 thers ovate-oblong, obtuse, adnate, free, 2- celled, dehiscing longitu- 

 dinally. Connective broad. Hypogynous disk none. Ovary free, ob- 

 long-conical, pubescent, 1 -celled, with two slightly protruded parie- 

 tal placentae. Ovules numerous. Style filiform, deciduous. Stigma 

 capitate. Capsule oblong, about 4 lines long, 1 -celled, 2-valved, the 

 valves bearing the placentae on their middle. Seeds many, naked, 

 ovate, compressed, pendulous. Testa brown, reticulated. 



Obser. — This very remarkable plant I dedicate to my ex- 

 cellent friend, Capt. J. G. Champion cf^the 95th Regiment, 

 who, during several years that he has been in Ceylon, has 

 devoted much attention to the indigenous vegetation of 

 the Island. There can be no doubt of its being a legiti- 

 mate denizen of Cyrtandrece, but it will not associate with 

 the members of any hitherto described genus. Its techni- 

 cal characters bring it into De Candolle's 6th sub-tribe, 

 LoxoniecB ; and its nearest affinity is with Isanthera, from 

 which it is distinguished by its opposite leaves, and the 

 structure of its corolla. In habit it agrees with Napeanthus, 



