468 , *COMPOSIT^. [Eclipta 



24. ECLZPTA, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. iii, 304. 



Strigose or hirsute annuals. Leaves opposite. Seads small, 

 axillary or terminal, peduncled, heterogamous, rayed. Bay-flowers 

 female, sub-2-seriate, fertile or sterile ; liguUs small, entire or 2- 

 toothed, white rarely yellow. Disk-Jlowers 2-sexual, fertile, tubular, 

 limb 4-5-fid. Involucre broadly campanulate ; bracts sub -2- seriate, 

 herbaceous, outer large and broad. Receptacle flat, or nearly so, 

 pales inclosing several flowers, inner narrow or 0. Anther-bases 

 obtuse, subentire. Style-arms flattened, with short or triangular 

 obtuse appendages. Achenes of ray narrow, triquetrous, often 

 empty ; of the disk stouter, laterally subcompressed, top entire 

 toothed or 2-aristate. — Species 3 or 4, one cosmopolitan, another 

 in S. America, and a third in Australia. 



E. erecta, Linn. Mantiss. ii, 286 ; CooTce Fl. Bomb, ii, 38. E. prostrata, 

 Linn.; Boxh.Fl. Ind. iii, 43S. E. alba, flassfe.; F. B. I. iii, 304 ,- Watt 

 E. B.; Collett Fl. Siml. 262. 



A strigose slender weed. Stems erect or prostrate and often rooting 

 at the nodes. Leaves sessile, 1-4 in. long, but very variable, linear 

 or oblong-lanceolate, narrowed at both ends, entire 03» serrate, strigose 

 on both sides. Heads ^-^ in. in diara., solitary or 2 together en stiff 

 unequal peduncles. Invol-bracts obtuse or acute, strigose outside 

 Ligules white, spreading, linear, not toothed. Achenes with 2 of the 

 angles winged, the sides covered with warty excrescences. Papjpus 0, 

 or of a few minute teeth. 



Abundant within the area. Flowers during the greater portion of the 

 year. Distbib. Throughout India and in Ceylon, extending up to 

 6,000 ft. on the Himalaya ; cosmopolitan in all warm countries. The 

 plant is used medicinally in many parts cf India ; and in Bengal the 

 fresh leaves are employed in tatooing the skin. 



25. SCLEROCARPUS Jacq. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. iii, 305. 



Strigose or villous herbs. Leaves alternate or opposite. Seads 

 terminal or in the forks, or leaf-opposed ; heterogamous, rayed, 

 yellow. Ray'flowers neuter, 1-seriate, ligules spreading. Disk- 

 flowers 2-sexual, fertile, tubular, limb b-5-fid. Involucre cam- 

 panulate ; bracts few, 2-seriate, all or the tips herbaceous, outer 

 spreading. Receptacte convex or conic ; pales enfolding the base 

 <»f the 2-8exual flowers and finally hardening round the achenes. 

 Anther-bases subentire. Style-arms of 2-sexual flowers elongate, 

 acute obtuse or subclavate. Achenes obovoid, subcompressed, gla- 

 brous, narrowed below, inclosed in the rugose often beaked pales. 



