Botany of Southern India. 55 



with thick hard triangular imbricated sheaths each of which 

 is terminated with a long filiform leaf, leaves very caducous 

 2-6 inches long by J a line broad semiterete at the base* 

 flattened upwards ; flowers terminal solitary, involucre tubu- 

 lar, mouth 2 cleft, staminodes 2 stamens 3 monodelphous,, 

 stigmas 2 entire or 2-3 cleft, capsule smooth. 



A'naimalai Hills, on rocks in beds of rivers, 1,500 to 3,000 

 feet elevation. 



All the leaves of this species fall off long before the flow- 

 ering season (December), but the scales or sheaths are per- 

 sistent. The flowers are only on the apex of the stems fur- 

 nished with these sheaths : the other filiform stems, which 

 are destitute of scales, bear the same filiform leaves but no 

 flowers. 



ACANTHACEJE. 

 Strobilanthes, (Blume.) 



Strobilanthes Andersonii, (R. H. B.) shrubby 12 to 20 

 feet high, stems terete hirsute, leaves petioled ovate acumi- 

 nate serrate, hirsutely pubescent on both sides, 4 to 9 inches 

 long 2 to 4 J broad, petioles J to 2 inches long hirsute, 

 peduncles axillary much shorter than the leaves flowers in 

 dense bracteated heads, bracts large glabrous or slightly 

 ciliated ovate obtuse calycine lobes narrow lanceolate ciliate 

 corol glabrous large pale blue, stamens 4 unequal. 



A'naimalais, moist woods, 5,500 feet elevation. 



Strobilanthes gracilis, (R H. B.) shrub 18 feet high, 

 stems terete glabrous, leaves sessile auricled at the base 

 narrow lanceolate with a long acumination, attenuated to- 

 wards the base, sharply serrated glabrous on both sides 4-6 

 inches long by 1-1 \ broad panicles terminal or from the up- 

 per axils loose, many flowered glanduloso-puberulous flow- 

 ers in distant pairs each furnished with a small lanceolate 



