314
THE JOURNAL OF INDIAN BOTANY.
VI. CRISTATO-SEPALAE
The sepals of the female flowers are deeply boat-shaped with the keel thickened or expanded into a wing or crest, which may be lobed or even pectinate. One sepal may be absent, otherwise the flowers are normal. The floral bracts are glabrous and except in the last two of the series hyaline. The leaves and other vegetative parts are also glabrous. All are marsh or land plants, none grow in running water.
The group appears to have progressed in two directions : perhaps it should really be divided into two sections. One with increasing floral bracts ends in E. echinulatum where they have long linear points and the petals are absent ; the other with short bracts, developed along the line of decreasing width of the petals, till in E. sexangulare they are linear with long hairs. E. Thomasi, may be a derivative of this latter species. (See E. Thwaitesii No. 14, for similar develop- ment.)
TABLE OF PROBABLE RELATIONSHIPS.
E. Margaretae , — E. Elenorae E. minutum -E. stellulatum E. echinulatum E. cuspidatum E. sexangulare E. Thomasi
... Western Ghats. ... Western Ghats.
... Western Ghats of Mysore and
Mount Abu. ... Western Ghats, Bombay to
Malabar. ... Burma to Malay.
... Western Ghats.
... Western Ghats, and Burma to
Malay. ... S. India.
Key to the Cristato-sepalae.
- Heads under 1/6 in. diameter. (Mt.
Abu to Malabar) Heads 1/8 in. conical, female sepals 3, equally
crested ... 37 E. Margaretae.
Heads 1/8 in. conical, female sepals unequal, 1
not crested ... 38 E. Elenorae.
Heads 1/8 in conical, obconic, the involucral
bracts longer than the floral ... 39 E. minutum.
- Heads 1/6 inch, floral bracts acumi-
nate. (Burma) ... 41 E. echinulatum.
