Strobtlanthes,] 



67. ACANTHACE2B. 



263 



of the decidnous moist forests. Sometimes a very large shrub (30 ft. in 

 height and 2^ in. in diameter). A general flowering takes place every 

 seven or eight years. The white, glabrous bracts become covered after the 

 flowering is over, with viscous, strongly-smelling hairs. The flowers 

 vary in colour from purple-blue to pink. A general flowering (>f this 

 species in North K^nara took place in Sept. -Oct. 1887. The capsules 

 ripen dnring the cold and hot seasons and are elastically dehiscent, making 

 a peculiar, almost continuous, noise during the shedding of the seeds in 

 a forest of this species. The viscous, fruiting bracts are no doubt protec- 

 tive against boring insects. S. ixiocephalus, and this are the most widely 

 distributed and abundant species of Strobilanthes on the North K^nara 

 ghats. 



11. S. asper, Wight Ic. t. 1518, not of Dene. Fl. Br. T. 4. 452. 



Mountains of Southern India, alt. 5-8000 ft. Nilgherries, Bababuden, 

 Anamallajs and Malabar ghats. S. Konkan ghdts, 5 — SOOOft. Stocks. 

 Bababuden hills, Mysore, 6000 ft. alt. FJ. Aug. Sept. Fr. C. S. 



12. S. sessilis, Nees in Wall. PI. As. Ear. Ill, 85 ; Fl. Br. I. 4. 452 ; 

 var. Eitchiei. S. se-ssiloides, Dalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 187. Buhra, M. ; 

 Harkuni, K. 



Nilgherries alt. 6 — 8000 ft., Wynaad and Travancore. Very common 

 on the ghats of the Belgaum District. In North Kanara common on 

 laterite in the Supa, Siddapur and Sirsi tilukas, also on the ghats of the 

 Konkan near Bombay. A gregarious small species growing in clumps. 

 General flowering once in about seven years : one took place near the Earn 

 ghat of the Belgaum District in Sept. 1889. Separate flowering clumps 

 are found during Sept. and Oct. of years other than those of general 

 flowering. Fr. ripe Nov.-Dec. Leaves shortly petiolate, more glabrous 

 than in S. sessilis, 2sees. 



1.3. S. perfoliatus, T. Anders, in Jour. Linn. Soc. IX. 471 j Fl. Br. I. 

 4. 458. Endojpogon integrijoliuSjDalz. & Gibs. Bomb. Fi. 185. Gurgi^ K. 



On the Konkan gh^ta near Panvel, Dalz. ; common in North Kdnara ; 

 usually in evergreen or near evergreen forests from Ainshi southwards, 

 gregarious. General flowering once in about seven years : last took place 

 near Ainshi from Dec. till Mch. 1887. Fr. Jany.-May. Leaves light- 

 coloured or steel-grey beneath. Bracts linear, viscous-ciliate. Flowers 

 blue, very handsome. A general flowering of this species took place ia 

 the Honavar and Kumta sub-divisions of North Kanara during the cold 

 seasons of 1896. 



3. CALACANTHXJS, T. Anders. 



A gregarious shrub. Leaves large entire. Flowers large, purple 

 in terminal, bracteate, hairy spikes. Calyx 5-divided. Corolla 

 purple, deeply 2-lipped, posterior, lip narrow shortly 2-fid, anterior 

 of 3, short, emarginate lobes, lobes all contorted in bud. Stamens 

 didynamous ; anthers sub-equal, oblong, muticous. Ovary glabrous ; 

 4, ovuled j style hairy. Seeds densely hairy, exareolate. 



