THE BOTANY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 211 



violet. The seeds of Asy stasia are dispersed by the 

 exploding of the capsule as in so many Acanthacece but 

 this of course would not account for the plant's reaching 

 Christmas Island. They are too heavy probably for wind 

 dispersal and were probably sea borne to the island. It 

 grows in the lower woods near the sea, on soil chiefly 

 formed of broken coral reef. 



Ruellia prostrata, Lam. var dejecta Clarke. 



A low spreading herb about 6 inches tall. Leaves 

 ovate or lanceolate acute base cuneate 2 inches long and 

 one inch wide sprinkled with white hairs on both sides 

 expecially on the nerves, petiole half an inch long 

 hairy. Flowers solitary axillary opening in the after- 

 noon. Corolla little more than half an inch long light 

 violet dilated upwards. Capsule f inch long base 

 narrowed half its length them dilated pubescent. Seeds 

 numerous orbicular flat margined above covered with 

 minute white processes. 



Flying Fish Cove common (Andrews) I could find only 

 a few plants on some boulders close to Ross' old house. 



Distribution East Africa, India, Ceylon, Malay Penin- 

 sula (type). 



The variety dejecta is extremely different from the 

 typical form, which is more compact with much smaller 

 leaves, flowers much more dilated and at least twice 

 as large. Mr. Clarke however has seen intermediate 

 forms. 



Possibly accidentally introduced, but may be dispers- 

 ed by the adhesion of its minute slightly hooked seed 

 processes, or may be sea borne. 



Dicliptera maclearii, Hemsley. 



A weedy plant 2 or 3 feet tall branched, growing in 

 masses with lanceolate leaves pointed at both ends 

 1 to 3 inches long •£ to 1 inch wide pubescent on both 

 sides, petiole ^ inch long or less flowers crowded in the 



R, A. Soc, No. 45, 1905. 



