ACANTHACEAE. 



65 



Oblongata, Lindl. (fig. " Bot. Reg." t. 1657).— Brazil. Spikes 

 axillary, short-peduncled, 2-3-flowered, shorter than the leaves ; 

 calyx 5-parted ; sepals equal ; corolla H inch long, rose-coloured, 

 tube erect, limb 2-lobed. A pretty pot plant with showy flowers. 



plumbaginifolia, Nees, "Wall. PI. As. Bar." iii. 102.— Brazil. 

 Leaves ovate-oblong, long-petioled ; spikes 1 inch long, terminal 

 trifid, bracts linear ; flowers J inch long, purple. 



Violacea, Planch. & Linden, " Hort. Lind." i. 5, t. 3 ; (fig. "Bot. 

 Mag." t. 5244). — Colombia. A pretty stove plant. Leaves short- 

 petioled, ovate ; flowers in a terminal, capitate spike ; calyx 5 -fid, 

 segments equal; corolla twice as long as calyx, purple, ringent, 

 bilabiate, upper lip arched over the stamens, very slightly bifid, 

 lower lip of 3 large spreading lobes, the lowest white-reticulated ; 

 bracts oblong. 



Blepharis. — Plants of this genus are of botanical interest only. 



boerhaviaefolia, Pers., " Syn." ii. 180; (fig. Wight, "Icones," 

 t. 458). — S. India. Prostrate herb. Leaves usually 4 in a whorl, 

 elliptic, repand- toothed, nearly glabrous ; spikes axillary, few- 

 flowered ; bracts J inch, ovate, bristle-ciliate ; bracteoles \ inch, 

 spathulate, bristle-ciliate, sub-glabrous, green-nerved ; corolla 

 § inch, pink or whitish, 

 capensis, Pers., "Syn." ii. 180.— South Africa. A small harsh 

 shrub, nearly glabrous ; stem-leaves generally approximated in 

 fours, the lower pair of which is reduced to pinnately toothed 

 spines, the upper pair 1^ inch long, oblong-elliptic, spine- 

 toothed ; spikes near the end of the branches, loose, 4-9-flowered ; 

 bracts 1 inch long, elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous, white-nerved ; 

 corolla \ inch long, white. 

 fUPCata, Pers., " Syn." ii. 180. — South Africa. Very spinous. 

 Leaves 1J inch long, lanceolate or linear, with spinous teeth ; 

 spikes axillary, 1 inch long, ovoid, few-flowered ; bracts § inch 

 long, nearly glabrous, terminating in a rigid, pinnate spine ; 

 corolla | inch long, bluish. 



£Zomero£a=procumbens. 



procumbens, Pers., " Syn." ii. 180. — South Africa. Leaves 

 generally approximated in fours, sub-similar, about 1 inch long, 

 linear to linear- oblong, deeply toothed, spinous ; spikes axillary, 

 ovoid, 1\ inch long, few-flowered ; bracts 1 inch long, ovate, 

 acute, with recurved points, hairy-spinous on the margins ; corolla 

 about 1 inch long, blue. 

 Brillantaisia 



Lamium, DC, "Prod." xi. 97. — Tropical Africa. A rather weedy 

 herb. Stems, soft, 4 -sided; leaves broadly ovate, entire ; panicles 

 terminal, trichotomous ; calyx 5-parted, sepals narrow, equal ; 

 corolla dark purple, rather large, deeply 2-lobed, upper lip bifid, 

 arching over the stamens, with a membranous hinge at the base, 

 lower lip deflexed, 2-lipped. If well pinched in when young to 

 prevent its lanky growth, it is rather a pretty pot plant for the 

 stove, as the flowers are showy and curious with the remarkable 



VOL. XXXIV. F 



