The leaves of my specimens are not serrulate,
but they are as large as those of C. serrulata, exceeding
9 inches in length and 4 in breadth, pubescent
on both sides, but scarcely scabrous: the
capsules are more than twice the length of the
calyx, though, certainly, not thrice the length. The
pubescence on the leaves, as shown on the drawing,
is rather too conspicuous.
1496. Cryptophragmium axillare (Nees), cymes
axillary, regular, glandulose, about the length of the
petiol: leaves broadly ovate, acute at both ends,
glabrous, punctulate.
Ceylon—March, 1836.
Further consideration leads me to suspect that this
is not the true C. axillare, though agreeing in so
many particulars. In Nees’ plant the stems are said
to be repent, a foot and half long: here they are
evidently diffuse, climbing, and probably many feet
long. In his, the stems are 4-sided, with decurrent
angles from the leaves, here they are terete, but
angled: in his, the leaves with the petiol are 3g
inches long, and from 1£ to 2 broad, here they are
about half the size; but it is a branch and then
the leaves are said to be smaller: in his, the petiols
equal the peduncles, here the leaves are almost
sessile; in other respects it seems to quadrate with
the description and comes from the same country,
and is the only plant in my collection at all corresponding
with the character of the species, a specimen
of which, from my collection, Nees quotes.
Endopogon, Stenosiphonium.
These two genera, as they stand in Nees’ Monograph,
can scarcely be viewed as distinct though, at
first sight, apparently, easily distinguished by the number
of their stamens—2 in the former, 4 in the latter.
But this distinction Nees has himself broken down
by his St. diandrum, regarding which he remarks,
“ambigit inter Endopogones et Stenosiphonia sed
calyx vix usque ad medium divisus;” thus making
the essential generic distinction rest on the greater
or less depth of the clefts of the calyx, and not on
the number of stamens, nor seed in the capsule, or
in other words assigning generic value to a circumstance
usually esteemed of scarcely specific note.
To this high valuation I demur, and therefore in
naming the following species, left the calyx comparatively
out of consideration, and in lieu thereof
made use of the number of seed in the capsule
combined with the form of the corolla; viz. a cam-
panulate limb,' and long, slender tube, which is
common to both.
Endopogon, corolla campanulato-infundibuliform,
capsule 4-seeded.—Stamens usually two.
Stenosiphonium, corolla campanulato-infundibuliform,
capsule 8-seeded.—Stamens usually four.
Thus the number of stamens and seeds in the
capsule divides, into two genera, a group of species
which the form of the corolla unites. So far all is
easy. But the tetrandrous Stenosiphonium has at
least one diandrous species, and according to my
view, the diandrous genus Endopogon has a tetrandrous
species in my E. strobilanthes.
Here a new difficulty arises, Endopogon differs
from Strobilanthes in the number of its stamens, and
to some extent in the form of its corolla, the latter
wanting the long slender tube, the limb being nearly
the same in both. In my E . Strobilanthes there
are 4 stamens, and the capsule is 4-seeded, hence,
as regards the stamens and capsule, it is a Strobilanthes,
with the corolla of Endopogon, while the
calyx and stamens are those of Stenosiphonium.
The two nearly allied species, E . capitatus and folia-
sus, have the stamens and capsule of Endopogon and
the calyx of Stenosiphonium.
Ought in such a case an additional genus to be
constructed for the reception of these 3 plants,
which are all so closely allied in habit as to appear
inseparable; or are we rather to stretch a point and
admit them into one of the already existing 3 genera
? The latter has appeared to me the preferable
course, hence I have referred them all to Endopogon.
They all coincide with Endopogon in the form of
the corolla and number of seed, and two of them
further coincide in the number of stamens, but they
all differ in having a 5-cleft, not 5-parted, calyx: but
to that I attach only secondary importance. The
inconvenience attending this course is the introduction
of a didynamous species into a diandrous genus,
which, however, is partly palliated by finding Professor
Nees introducing a diandrous species into a
didynamous genus, so that analogy is in its favour.
Influenced by these views, and attaching only specific,
or at most, sectional value to the extent of adhesion
between the lobes of the calyx, I submit for
the consideration of Botanists, the following diagnostic
characters of the three genera just named;
the adoption of which will, I apprehend, obviate the
necessity of an additional one in an order, perhaps,
already overburthened with genera, some of .them
resting on imperfect observation of the structure on
which they are founded. In saying that I think
fewer might serve, it can scarcely be necessary to
guard myself against being misunderstood in the
opinion already expressed, that some of the existing
genera may require sub-division, as that does not
imply that all the existing ones will be found worthy
of preservation.
Endopogon. Flowers diandrous, rarely didynamous.
Corolla campanulato-infundibuliform, with a
long, slender tube. Capsule 4-seeded.
Strobilanthes. Flowers didynamous. Corolla
infundibuliform, tube short. Capsule 4-seeded.
Stenosiphonium. Flowers didynamous, rarely diandrous.
Corolla campanulato-infundibuliform, with
a long, slender tube. Capsule 8-seeded.
The first and last differ in the number of seed, the
second from both in the form of the corolla.
1497. Endopogon versicolor (R. W.), bracts
lanceolate, subulato-attenuate at the apex, and, like
the calyx, densely glanduloso-hirsute: calyx 5-cleft,
segments lanceolate: leaves long, petioled, broadly
ovate, acuminate, crenate, glabrous above, white
beneath.
Neilgherries, flowering in March and April.
This species is very nearly allied to E . kypoleucas,
from, which it differs in the much larger size of all
the parts of the inflorescence, the long, lanceolate,
subulate bracts, and the abundant viscid, glandular
clothing of the ramuli .and inflorescence, which is
nearly wanting on my authentic specimen of that
species. The under surface of the leaves is perfectly
white, from a compact layer of very fine