1142 
XCIII. ACANTHACEiE. 
[. Thunbenjia . 
teeth, nearly glabrous, in fruit over 2 lines. Corolla 1 Jin., pure white. Anther- 
cells elliptic, acute, base unappendaged. Ovary glabrous ; style funnel-shaped, 2- 
lipped. Capsule f to lin. long, glabrous, shining. Seeds about 2 lines rugose. 
— T. javanica, Gtertn. Fruct. III. 22, t. 183 ; T. arnhcmica, F. v. M. Fragm. 
ix. 73 ; and T. Powelli, South. Sci. Rec. ii. 34. 
Hab.: This common Indian species has become naturalised in many parts of the colony, 
especially in the tropics. 
The following note is given by Mr. Trimen in his Ceylon Flora, part iii., 289: — ‘-The 
flowers never have the slightest scent. Roxburgh bestowed the Dame fragrant from a peculiar 
and agreeable fragrance of the plant, which I am unable to detect ; he expressly says that the 
flower is scentless.” This most certainly agrees with the plants in Queensland. C. B. Clarke, 
however, in Hook. FI. Brit. Iud., says the flowers are fragrant. 
2. *T. alata (winged), Boj. in Sims, Bot. Mag. t. 2591 ; Benth. FI. AusV- 
iv. 543. A herbaceous softly pubescent or villous twiner. Leaves broadly 
angular-cordate, on rather long petioles which are always more or less winged. 
Flowers pale orange or in one variety white, with the tube purple inside, on 
axillary pedicels shorter than the leaves. Bracteoles herbaceous, ovate-lanceolate 
or ovate, J to fin. long. Calyx reduced to a ring of from 10 to 12 small acute 
teeth. Corolla-tube shortly exceeding the bracteoles with 5 rounded spreading 
nearly equal lobes. — Nees in DC. Prod. xi. 58 ; Hook. Exot. FI. t. 177 ; Bot. 
Mag. t. 3512. 
Hab : Naturalised near towns. A native of the S.E. coast of Africa or of the Mascarene 
islands, long since cultivated in Indian as well as European gardens. 
2. NELSONIA, R. Br. 
(After D. Nelson, who accompanied Captain Cook.) 
Calyx of 4 distinct segments, the lowest 2-fid. Corolla-lobes 5, nearly equal, 
the 2 upper ones outside in the bud. Stamens 2, included in the corolla-tube ; 
anther-cells distinct, divergent ; no staminodia. Ovules rather numerous ; 
stigmatic lobes of the style unequal. Capsule 2-eelled from the base, terminating 
in a seedless beak. Seeds small, globular, resting on minute scarcely con- 
spicuous papillae. — Diffuse herb. Flowers small, sessile in terminal leafy spikes. 
The genus appears to be limited to a single species, a common tropical weed. 
1. N. campestris (field plant), B. Br. Prod. 481 ; Benth. FI. Austr. iv. 
543. A diffuse or prostrate herb, the slender stems much branched, and extend- 
ing sometimes to above 1ft., clothed as well as the foliage with long soft hairs 
which are often white and silky on the young shoots and inflorescence. Leaves 
oblong or eliptical, narrowed into a short petiole or rarely broadly ovate or 
almost orbicular, rarely exceeding fin. except the radical and lowest which are 
sometimes much longer, the floral ones sessile, ovate, acute, 3 to 4 lines long, 
crowded or almost imbricate in short terminal spikes. Flowers nearly sessile, 
not exceeding the floral leaves. Calyx about 2 lines long, the upper and lower 
segments rather broader than the others, the lowest from minutely 2-toothed to 
deeply 2-lobed. Corolla-tube about as long as the calyx, the lobes rounded, 2 
upper ones nearly 1J line long, the three lower rather smaller. Capsule oblong- 
linear, not exceeding the floral leaves. — Eudl. Icongr. t. 79 ; A T . rotundifolia, R. 
Br. l.c. ; A. tomentosa, Dietr. ; T. Anders, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ix. 450 ; the 
whole five species of Xelsonia and their numerous synonyms given by Nees in 
DC. Prod. xi. 65 to 67. 
Hab.: Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, R. Brown ; Endeavour River, Banks and Solander ; 
Roehampton, Dallachtj ; and other tropical localities. 
The species is a common tropical weed in Asia and Africa, and is already abundant in 
several parts of tropical America. 
