THE INDIAN SPECIES OF ERIOCAULON. 313
Leaves 2-3 in. by 1/6 in. Sheaths as long. Scapes several, slender 12-17 in. Heads 1/3 in. Involueral bracts blunt ; floral acuminate scabrid. Flowers normal. Plate 32.
G. Himalayas ; Nepal and southwards to Chota Nagpur and
Burma Pegu.
Mart, in Wall PI. As. Rar. Hi-gives floral bracts as " dorso-barbulatis ".
35. E. Hamiltonianum Mart. ; F.B.I, as E. oryzetorum I.e. ; Ruhl. No 179. Perennial (Mart.) Leaves l|-2l in. Sheaths shorter, scapes numerous, very slender. Heads conical, 1/G in. Involueral bracts, blunt ; floral acute, hardly acuminate. Sepals narrow, 2 only ; petals 3 oblanceolate, Plate 33.
Var a typica.
Assam & southwards to Tavoy.
Var b minor. (King at Siliguri 1878 in Herb. Calc.) ; Leaves 1-1 in. Scapes 1-2 in. Heads 1/8 in.
Assam ; Siliguri.
Var c minima, (Meebold 9898!) leaves linear f-lo in. Scapes capillary 1-4. in. Heads 1/8 in. Flowers few.
Penisular India ; Western Ghats at Castles Rock.
If the sheet Wall. Cat. G069 in Herb. Calc. given this name is correctly so numbered, the plant is quite distinct from E. oryzetorum, not an immature state as given in F.B.I. 1. c. Varieties a, b and c appear to me to grade into each other, though a and c would certainly seem distinct.
36. E. Edwardii Fyson sp. nov. (Clarke No. 34327 in Herb. Gale !) Caulis perbrevis. Folia 2-5 cm. longa, 4-6 mm. basi lata, acuta, glabra, tenuia. Pedunculi 6-20 cm. tenues. Capitula 3-5 mm obconica sed demum globosa, bractae involucranfces nee reflexae, 4 mm. longa, scariosae, glabrae, ellipto-acutae, quam bractis flores superan- tibus paulo longiores. Haec bractae glabrae, obovato-acutae, pal- lido-nigrae, Receptaculum altum villosum. Flos .£ Sepala 2, tenuia ; petala 2 linearia, aut. o. Semina 3. Flos & Sepala 2 ? in spatham connata ; petala o. antherae 6, nigrae. Plate 34.
Himalayas : Sikkim ; Bengal ; Chota Nagpur.
Scapes 3-4 times the leaves. Heads gobose or nearly so, in bud over-topped by the acute involueral bracts.
This species stands in much the same relation to the other two members of this section as E. minutum to the first two species of the next section. Tt represents a corresponding stage in the reduction of the floral parts accom- panied by a lengthening of the involueral bracts. It is possible that var. minor and minima of the previous species should be included in it. Tho whole series forms a perfect example of gradual reduction in the floral parts.
