Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/829

THE INDIAN SPECIES OF ERIOCAULON. 317 Floral similar, slightly acuminate, sparingly pu'bescent. Eeceptacle tall, hairy. Female sepals 3 unequal, one much the largest, the small- est not crested.

These last two species are very closely connected and might perhaps be considered one species, but E. Elenorac seems to be always the robuster, and in 23. Margaretae I have never found the female sepals at all unequal.

39. E, minutum Hook. £.; F.B.L vi, 579, No. 28 ; Ruhl. No. 190. Whole plant very small. Leaves linear 1/2-3/4 in. long, from a broad 3-5 nerved base. Scapes numerous, very slender lo-2A in. Head ob- ccnic, the involucral bracts 1/8 in. long-glabrous, scarious, elliptic- acute and covering the floral. Eloral bracts oblong, acute. Female sepals 2 only, narrow, with a pectinate crest along the uppor half of the back ; petals 0. Male flowers normal, petals small. Seeds oblong elliptic, reddish brown. Plate 36.

Rajputana ; Mt. Abu : Peninsular India ; Mysore and Kanara on the Western Ghats.

This species might be mistaken for a small and meagre form of hi. x&ran- theniam.

40. E. stellulatum Koern. ; F.B.I, vi, 579, No. 20 ; Euhl. No. 153. Leaves broad and thin 2-3 in. acute. Scapes several slender 3-6 in. Heads 1/3 in. Involucral bracts lanceolate-acute, reflexed. Floral similar, spreading, much longer than the flowers, making the head a glistening stellate globe. Female sepals 2, strongly crested on the back ; petals 3, oblanceolate, very hairy. Male flower normah 3-merous.

Bombay and Malabar ; on the Western Ghats. Abundant on the lake side at Mahabaleshwar in Oct. (Sedgwick).

41. E. echinulatum Mart. (Wall Cafe. 6082 in Herb. Calc !) F.B.I, vi, 579, No. 26 ; Ruhl. No. 177. Leaves acute or aculeate, 1/2-3 in. Scapes many, 3-6 in., slender. Heads 1/6 in. giobose except for the horizontal. base, very ech'inate by the acuminate floral bracts. Female sepals 2 only, winged down the back ; petals 0. Male flowers normal, 3-merous. Plate 37.

Burma ; Kelaben, Tavoy.

42. E, cuspidatum Dalz. (Dalziel No. 138 in Herb. Calc !) F.B.I, vi, 581, No. 31 ; Ruhl. No. 168. Stem disciform. Leaves 1-4 in. by 1/6-1/4 in. exactly oblong up to the round and apiculate or cus- pidate apex above 7 nerved. Scapes several 8-15 in. Heads 1/4 in. diam., globose, white. Floral bracts cuneate, obovate, hairy. Sepals of both sexes 2 only (F.B.I, has " 3, one flat ") female sepals deeply