6 o6 
CVI. ACANTHACEjE. 
[Polytrema. 
Calyx and lobes setaceous linear, 5, Corolla fairly large con¬ 
spicuous, white or rosy, 2-lipped. Stamens 2; anther-cells 2, 
elliptic one slightly below the other, base blunt or acute, not tailed. 
Capsule stalked. Seeds 4, pustulate. Species 7, Malay Peninsula 
and islands. 
Leaves in pairs, very unequal. 
Leaves entire . . . . . . . (1) P. vulgare 
Leaves crenulate . . . . . (2) P. crenulatum 
Leaves equal, plant ascending. 
Leaves elliptic, 4-5 in. long; petioles -5 to 'i in. 
long (3) P. isophyllum 
Leaves elliptic-ovate, 2 to 3 in. long; petioles *1 in. 
long . . . . . . . (4) P. sequale 
Plant creeping, throwing up 3 in. stems . . (5) P. repens 
Plant prostrate; leaves elliptic-ovate, brown . . (6) P. cupreum 
(1) P. vulgare Clarke , lx. 693. 
Slender shrubby herb, about 1 ft. tall, branched and often 
decumbent. Leaves very unequal, one elliptic or nearly ovate 
acuminate, base shortly narrowed, 4 in. long, 1*5 to 2 in. wide, 
small one ovate, *25 to -5 in. long; petioles none to 1 in. long. 
Cymes few-flowered, sessile, -25 in. long. Sepals setaceous, -35 in. 
long. Corolla white, -7 in. long, tube funnel-shaped. Capsule 
•7 in. long. Seeds 4. Hab. Banks in forests. Johor, Gunong 
Janeng (Kelsall); Pulau Aor (Feilding). Selangor, Kwala Lumpur 
(Curtis). Perak, Ulu Temengoh; Kwala Kenering; Sungei Siput; 
Kwala Dipang; Hermitage Hill; Goping (Kunstler). Dindings, 
Gunong Tungul. Penang Hill and Muka Head (Curtis). 
(2) P. crenulatum Clarke , l.c. 693. 
Branches 6 to 8 in. long, decumbent, much divided. Leaves 
up to 2-5 by 1 in. long, sub-sessile elliptic acuminate, edge finely 
crenulate. Cymes closely axillary, 1- to 3-flowered. Sepals -2 in. 
long, linear setaceous, nearly glabrous. Corolla -35 in. long. Other¬ 
wise as in P. vulgare , possibly only a starved form. Hab. Perak 
(Scortechini). 
I have not seen this plant. 
(3) P. isophyllum Clarke, l.c. 693. 
Herb 1 to 2 ft. tall, nearly glabrous. Leaves opposite, equal, 
yellow when dry, 4-5 in. long, 175 in. wide, elliptic-acuminate, 
base cuneate, covered with rhaphides; nerves 7 to 8 pairs; petioles 
•5 to 1 in. long. Cymes small, few-flowered, axillary. Sepals 
•35 in. long, setaceous, minutely pubescent. Corolla white, more 
than -5 in. long. Stamens 2; filaments glabrous; anther-cells 
rather long, not tailed, distant but not parallel, one for one-third 
of its length below the other. Hab. Perak (Scortechini). 
I have not seen this specimen, and should have referred my species P. 
eequale to it except for the statement that the leaf is nearly twice as long 
and the petioles ’5 to 1 in. long. 
