ACANTHACEAE. 



83 



shortly bifid upper. Syn. Justicia nasuta. Very much cultivated 

 in India as a medicinal plant. 

 Ruellia. A large genus with many interesting stove species. Some make 

 very handsome pot plants, such as fermosa, Herbs tii, macrantha, • 

 macrophylla, which are often seen in our stoves ; others are well 

 worth growing in large establishments, whilst several are of not 

 much more than botanical interest. Two species, ciliosa and 

 strepcns, are hardy, or nearly so — a very rare character in this 

 order. 



acutangula, Nees, in "Mart. Fl." xxi. (1838), 11; Deibl..61; 

 (fig. " Bot. Mag." t. 6382).— Rio, in shady forests. A large herb. 

 Leaves 6-8 inches, elliptic, acuminate ; flowers sessile, large, 

 2 inches long, scarlet, on a dichotomously branched peduncle with 

 a flower in the fork ; calyx cylindric, § inch long ; corolla- tube 

 1-H inch long, slightly curved, 2 inches in diameter, sometimes 

 yellow in the throat ; lobes oblong. Common in cultivation, 

 var. hirsuta. Stems densely hirsute. 



affinis — speciosa. 



amoena, Nees, DC. " Prod." xi. 203. — South America. Leaves 

 broadly elliptic, entire or very obscurely scalloped, glabrous on 

 both sides, lower ones up to 7 inches by 3 inches ; petioles 

 1 inch ; peduncles axillary, 4 inches long and then bracteated 

 and cymose ; calyx ^ inch, segments 5, filiform, one longer than 

 the others ; corolla tubular, crimson, yellow-streaked inside, 

 1\ inch long, curved, the lower cylindric portion very short 

 (J inch), then suddenly ventricose and sack-like, but laterally 

 compressed, limb of 5 very short erect lobes. Rather common 

 in cultivation, flowers all the year round, and sows itself. 



Baikiei, Woodr., " Gard. India," ed. v. 417 ; (fig. " Bot. Mag." t. 5111). 

 — Niger, West Africa. Herbaceous, 2-3 feet. Leaves large, ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate ; panicles terminal, much-branched, forming 

 a large head with copious bracts and bracteoles ; flowers crimson ; 

 calyx small, segments 5, linear ; corolla about 2 inches long ; 

 tube curved, trumpet-like, ventricose from above the middle. 



Blumei, Steud., "Nom." ed. ii. p. 480. — Java. Leaves about 

 4 inches long, narrow-oblong, rounded at the apex, gradually 

 attenuated at base, very scabrous, margins crenulate ; spikes 

 axillary, a little shorter than the leaves, few-flowered ; flowers 

 small, whitish, the lobes pink-tipped ; corolla f inch long, lower 

 half of tube narrow, cylindric, then very suddenly funnel-shaped. 



A rather pretty pot plant when well in flower, but scarcely of 

 more than botanical interest. Introduced to our stoves from the 

 Jardin des Plantes, Paris. It sows itself very readily. 



Ciliatiflora, Hook. (fig. "Bot. Mag." t. ' 3718).— Buenos Ayres. 

 Stem herbaceous, scabrous ; leaves ovate, petioled, serrate, hairy ; 

 panicles terminal, leafless, few- flowered ; flowers lavender ; calyx 

 segments long, subulate, one much longer than the others ; corolla- 

 tube 1 inch, curved, enlarging upwards, lobes 1 inch across. 

 A very fine species. 



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