Peristrophe.] 
CVI. ACANTHACEJE. 
609 
35 . PERISTROPHE, Nees 
Erect herbs. Leaves equal. Flowers I to 4 together between 
2 leafy bracts axillary or terminal clustered. Calyx-lobes lanceo¬ 
late. Corolla bright or pale mauve, tube long, slender, limb 
conspicuously 2-lipped, upper entire, lower broad, elliptic, shortly 
3-lobed at tip. Stamens 2; anther-cells 2, muticous, one-half 
its length above the other. Capsule ellipsoid pubescent, placentae 
not elastic. Species about 20, Africa, tropical Asia to Japan. 
Flowers in dense heads. . 
Leaves broad ovate; bracts ovate large . . (1) P. tinctoria 
Leaves narrow; bracts narrow linear or lanceolate (2) P. acuminata 
Flowers lax panicled . . . . . • (3) P- bicalyculata 
(1) P. tinctoria Nees, Wall. Pl. As. Rar. iii. 113; Clarke, 
l.c. 695. 
Herb 3 to 4 ft. tall. Leaves ovate-elliptic, short acuminate, base 
cuneate pubescent or glabrate; nerves prominent; 2-25 to 3 in. long, 
175 in wide; petioles *5 to 1 in. long. Peduncles at branch ends, 1 in. 
long, pubescent. Bracts ovate acute, 75 to 1 in. long, *2 to -5 in. 
wide. Sepals lanceolate hairy. Corolla showy, 1*5 in. long, tube 
white, lobes bright mauve with a cream-coloured horse-shoe in 
the mouth. Capsule -6 in. long. Hab. Shady spots usually near 
cultivation and probably introduced. Singapore, Changi (Hullett) ; 
Tanglin. Johor, Tanjong Kupang. Province Wellesley at Krian 
(Scortechini). Adang group, Pulau Tengah (Ridley). Distrib. 
Indo-Malaya. Native name: Noja. Use : The flowers are used 
to stain eggs at feasts. 
(2) P. acuminata Nees, Wall. PI. As. Rar. iii. 113; Clarke, 
l.c. 696. P. salicifolia Miq. FI. Ind. Bat. ii. 847. 
A glabrous, weedy plant about 3 ft* tall with distant nodes. 
Leaves lanceolate acuminate, base narrowed, 3 in. long, -5 in. 
wide; nerves fine inconspicuous; petioles slender, *5 in. long. 
Cymes short, about -5 in. long, very shortly peduncled. Bracts 
linear, -5 in. long, *06 to *09 in. wide. Corolla -5 in. long, tube 
and back of lobes white, upper sides of lobes light rosy mauve 
with a cream-coloured blotch and 8 purple spots in the mouth, 
whole limb *25 in. wide. Capsule *4 in. long. Hab . Common in 
waste ground and road-sides, Singapore, Tanglin ; Chua Chu Kang. 
Johor. Pulau Tiuman. Pahang, Pekan. Malacca, Ayer Panas 
(Derry). Selangor, Rantau Panjang; Raub track (Machado); 
Ulu Gombak. Perak, Tanjong Malim. Penang, Balik Pulau 
Road (Curtis). Kedah, Alor Sta. Kelantan, Kota Bharu. 
var. salicifolia P. salicifolia Miq. FI. Ind. Bat. ii. 847; Clarke, 
Ic 696. A more robust'form with broader leaves and bracts. 
Hab. Penang Hill and Balik Pulau. Perak (Scortechini), Dis¬ 
trib. Burma and Malay Archipelago. Native name: Rumput 
Lida Jin. 
Fl. M.P., 2. 
*,[0 
R R 
