e e s E Ü G O M P H O S T E M U A .
V I I I . Melissifolia ; vevticiUast>-is remotis axillaribas, calyce indistincte costato intus
ìulo dentihugquc ìiirsuto, ovario glabro, mcuUs suhgloho$is.—PRASiu.\i Rosb., Ilort. Beng.
4 5 (1814), uec LiûD.
22. Gomphostemma Mastersii Benth. (1S85).
Humilis vel elatior caule gracili pai-utn sulcato scabro, foHis longe petìolatis ovatooblouifis
apice acutis basi integra cuneatis vel raro truncatis margiue cetoruin minute
crenato-serratis. supra beve liirsutis subtus nervis dense ceterum parce tomentosis, petiolis
Kiibscabris, vertidllastris paucifloris densis vel raro verticillis inf'erioribus parum evolutis,
hracteis exterioribus obloiigis obtusis, rcliquis lanceolatla, omnibus calyce brevioribus,
bracteolis linearlbus brevibus, cal^jcis purpura seen tis costis donsius ceterum parce hirsuti
dentibns lineari-lanceolatis apice subulatis tubo multo longioribus, corolla flava, extus
brevissime puberula, calyce plus 2-plo longiore, stylo glabro, mcalis nigrescentibus glabris
extws lievibus intus rugosulis.—G. Mastersii Benih. in Herb. Ind. Or. E. f . ^ T.T. ex
Hook. Fior. Brit. Ind. iv, 699 (1885) —G. melissifolium Wall., Cat n. 2157, pro parte
ci spi. Prasiuin Dielissifolium Roxb. excl. (1828).
I n ASSAM inferiore ; in collibus Jaintea, 2—3,000 p. s. m., G. Mann ! In Silbet,
DcSilva! Clarke! in montibus Kliasia, 3—4,000 p. s. m., Hooker et Thomson ! Clarke
N. 44-1:37 ! in collibus Luslmi apud Lengti, Prazer ! In ASSAM superiore ; Masters
II. 320 in Herb. Kew., Jenkins!
Caulibus asoendentibuá imo basi tantum radicantibus, vel prostratis ramis ascendenfibus,
6—25 cm. altis, radicibus fibrosis tuberis fusiformibua interspersis, petiolis 3—7
em. longis, laminis supra ajquabiliter stellato-tomentosis pilis longioribus simplicibus
ìiiterspersis, 7—14 cm. longis his 3—9 cm. latís, verticillastris sub-lO-floris nonnunquam
cymis laxis utrinqiie evolutis, bracteis 16 mm. longis lùs exterioribus 8—12 mm.
latís reliquis 2—4 mm, latís, calt/ce 18 mm. longo hoc 5 nmi. lato—tubo calycis 7 mm.
longo, detitibus 11 muí. longis his basi 3 mm. latís, coro/la 40 mm. longa—parte tubi
requali 25 mm. longa, limbo 8 mm. lato, labio postico margine integro tí mm. longo
hoc 8 mm. lato, labio antico 8 mm. longo hoc 16 mm. lato, nudulis maturís 6 mm.
loBgis his 4 mm. latis.
PLATKS 98B and 99. Gomphostemma Mastersii Smth. 9SB. Specimen from Jaintea
hills, Mann. 99. Specimen from Khasia, Hooker ^ Tkomon.
Tliis is ft ve!7 distinct species marked t y the presence of tubers amongst its roots. The characteristic
tomentum of the upper surface of its leaves, conswting of a uniform, though not dense, stellatepubescenoe,
tliroughout whioli longer aud stouter simple hairs are uniformly scattered, is vory distinctive.
This peculiar cliai'acter the species shares with G. nhinenaa (which has to 1>9 placed in the group
Ptfiluni^ulata owing to the llowei-s there being in lax cymes home on the old wood below the leaves).
Its flowers too are very like those of G. chínense, aud it further ita affinity with the group
Pedunculafa in having a coloured calyx and in having its whorls, as Sir Joseph Hooker has pointed
out. sometimes lax—" shortly peduncled as in G. pedmcuintuni' {F. B. I. iv, G!I9). Still the whorls
nre usmllij dense, aud in any case the calys Ls distinctly, though not prominently, ribhed.
Small forms of the species a good deal resemble G. vebUinum, to which it is i>Rrhaps most nearly
allied ; that species is at once distinguislied by its velvety tomentum as dense on the upper as on the
binder surface of the leaves, by its shorter coroUns, and by its roots without tubers. Its reduction to
M E L I S S I F O L I A , 2G0
G. ocatuni baa been suggestod, find in osternals Inrgo forms of this spccics do a good deal resemble
specimens of G. ovatum VAU, flaccich. The tubers amorg the roofs, the coloured ond much lorgertoothed
calys, the shorter noreower bracts, and the stelkte Lairs on Ihe rpper surince of the leaves
(a character »ever exhibited by either variety of G. otahm) amply distinguish this species from
(?, ODalitm. Dr. WalEch origintilly gave this plant the Mss. name of G. rudkam, but ofterr^-ai'ds
issued it as conspecific with 6. metissifuUum, the remainuig member of the gi'oup to which it belongs ;
it is so unlike that species that the diagnostic points do not require to be dwelt upon.
23. Gomptiostemma velut inum Benih. (issa).
Humilis caule gracili disti n c t e sulcato denso vclutino, foUis longe peti til ntis ovatis
basi integra cuneatis vel subtruncatis margine ceterum obtuse dentatis apice acutis,
u f r i n q u e densissime stellato-velutinis, verticillastris paucifloris densis, bradeis exterioribus
ovatis oblongisve, reliquis lanceolatis, omnibus calyce brevioribus, bracteolis liiiearibus
brevibus, calycis viridis dense molliter hirsuti dentibus lanceolatis tubo roquilongis, corolla
flava antice incurva, extus villosa, calyce 2-plo longiore, atylo glubro.-G. veluiiimm
Benth., Wall. Cat. D. 2709 (1829), Wall. FI. As. JRar. ii, 13 (1831), Lob. Gen. et Sp.
649 (1835) et DC. Froàr. sii, 652 (1848); Waìp., Mrp. iii, 898 (1845); Hook, f., Flor.
Brit. Ind. iv, 699 (1885).
I n ASSAM inferiore; in "montibus Silhet," Bruce {Wall. Cat. n. 2709)! in montibus
Khasia, 4,000 p. s. m.. Hooker et Thomson ! Oldham ! apud Mansmai, 4,000 p. s. m.,
Clarke n. 45942!
Caulibus 8—12 cm, longis ascendentibus vel prostratis, ramis ascendentibus, radicibus
omnibus fibrosis, petiolis 1—4 cm. lougis, laminis 3—6 cm. longis bis 2'5—S a cm.
latis, verticillastris sub-6-floris, bracteis 5—8 mm. longis bis 1—3 mm. latis, calyce 13 mm.
longo hoc 4 mm. lato—tubo calycie 6 mm. longo, dentibus 7 nmi. longis Iiis basi 2 mm.
latis, corolla 30 mm. longa—parte tubi squali 14 mm. longa, limbo 8 mm. lato, labio
postico 6 mm. longo hoc 8 mm. lato margine integro, labio antico 8 mm. longo
hoc 16 mm. lato, nvculis maturis nondum communicatis.
PLAI'E 98A. Gomphostemma velutinum Benth. Specimen from Silhet, Bruce {Wall.
Caí. n. 2709).
A Tery distinct species, easily recognisable by the dense tomentum on both surfaces of the leaves,
and remai'kable in having a miiform sldlaie tomentum on the upper surface as well as the lower.
This is the smallest species of the genus.
24. Gomphostemina ovatum Wall. (1828).
Huiiiillor caule gracili subsulcato scabro, foliis longe petìolatis membranaceis supra
p a r c e hispido-pubescentibus subglabrisve, laminis ovatis late ellipticia apice obtusis basi
t r u n c a t i s vcl raro cuneatis mai-gine crenato-dentatis, verticillastris multifloris densis,
bracteis exterioribus foliaceis ovatis obtusis margine crenato-serratis calycem excedentibus,
reliquis ovato-acutis calycem asquantibus, bracteolis linearibus brevibus, calycis viridis dentibus
lanceolatis tubo brevioribus, corolla flava apice antice incurva calyce 6ub-4-plo longiore,
extus puberula, stylo glabro, nuculis brunneis glabris extus lavibus intus rugoNulis.
AXN. E o v , BÜT. GARD, CALCUTTA Yo: