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Sans. : — Agni-shikhâ, Chitraka. (Also Vahni, and all the other names of fire. Roxburgh).

Vern. : — Chitrá, chíta, chitarak (Hind.); Chítú (Beng.) ; Shitaraj (Arab.) ; Shîtaruk (Pers.) ; Chatrmûl, Chitrakmûl, (Dec.) ; Venchittira (Tam.) ; Tella-chitra (Tel.); Kotuvéli (Mal); Sudunitul (Cingh.) ; Kn-khen-phíu (Burm.) ; Chitrak (Bom).

Habitat : — Cultivated, and wild throughout India. Common in Bengal, South India, and Kumaun hills.

An evergreen perennial herb, or undershrub, diffuse, rambling. Stems several, 2-5ffc., eylindric, glabrous striate. Root long, succulent, often much contorted, substantial, diffuse, straited longitudinally, 4-5ft. long, procumbent branches, on reaching the soil, often strike root. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, entire sessile, 1½-3½in. long, lin. broad, ovate. Petiole ¾in., base dilated, amplexicaul. Spikes 4-12in., often branched ; rachis of the spike pubescent or glandular. Flowers white, scentless, regular, bisexual, in long spike-like racemes, the rachis glandular, striate. Bracts and bracteoles persistent, leafy, shorter than the Calyx. Calyx inferior, free, ⅓-½in. by 1/10in., persistent, narrowly tubular or spindle-shaped ; 5-10 ribbed, often hyaline between the ribs, mouth frequently funnel-shaped, scarious ; segments five, with membranous margins, covered with short, large, stalked, spreading, globose, crimson glands ; teeth very short. Corolla inferior, persistent, tubular ; tube lin., slender ; lobes 5, spreading, nearly ½in. long, oval ovate or ovoid, acute. Stamens 5, free, hypogynous, opposite the petals ; filaments free, as long- as the Corolla- tube, linear, dilated at base ; anthers protruded, 2-celled. Ovary superior, 1-celled, 5-angular, narrowed at apex. Style simple filiform, divided into 5 stigmatose branches, nearly throughout the length. Stigmas 5, capillary and quite distinct. Ovule solitary. Capsule membranous, oblong, sharply pointed, included within the persistent Calyx and Corolla ; pericarp thickened above. Dehiscence circumciss near the base. Seed cylindrical or oblong rotund.