LEUCAS

Leucas R. Br., Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. 504. 1810; Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 523. 1848; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 680. 1885; Briquet in Engl. & Prantl., Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 1,4, 3 A: 250. 1896; Mukherjee, Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 162. 1940; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 404. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Fl. China @ eFloras.org 17: 141; Hedge, Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 155.

Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, villous or pilose, eglandular simple hairs. Leaves opposite, entire to crenate-serrate, petiolate, at least on lower leaves, usually gland-dotted. Verticillasters many-flowered, distant from each other, borne in axils of upper leaves. Bracts numerous, ovate-lanceolate to subulate, shorter than or equal to calyces. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, white, sometimes with cream, rose or green markings. Calyx tubular to obconic, 10-veined, straight or curved, truncate or oblique at throat, teeth 8-10, usually equal. Corolla tube cylindric, included in calyx; limb 2-lipped: upper lip erect, hood-like, densely white-bearded; lower lip much larger, spreading, 3-lobed, mid lobe the largest, entire. Stamens 4, didynamous, included, ascending beneath upper lip of corolla, close together in pairs: lower pair (anterior) longer than the upper (posterior); anther bithecous, ovoid, often orange, thecae divaricate, confluent at apex. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 4-locular, one ovule per loculus, placentation axile; style 2-cleft at apex, lobes short and unequal. Nutlets 4, oblong or ovoid, trigonous, obtuse to truncate- rounded at apex.

116 species

Leucas cephalotes

Leucas cephalotes (Roth.) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 2: 743. 1825; Benth. in DC., Prodr. 12: 532. 1848; Stewart, J. Agr. Hort. Soc. Ind. 1,1: 99. 1867; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 689. 1885; Mukherjee, Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind. 14, 1: 168. 1940; Wealth of India, Raw Materials 6: 79. 1962; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 405. 1921 (Reprint 1980); Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 519. 1999; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 557. 2006; L. capitata Desf., Mem. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 11: 8, t. 4. 1824; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu 264. 1981; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 231. 1983; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 509. 2004; Phlomis cephalotes Koen. ex Roth., Nov. Pl. Sp. 262. 1821.

Annual herbs, up to 80 cm tall. Stem erect, branched, obtusely 4-angled and grooved, hispid with spreading and retrorse hairs. Leaves opposite, narrow oblong-elliptic, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, base cuneate, margin subentire to crenate-serrate, apex acute, up to 8 cm x 3 cm; surfaces shortly hirsute or strigose with eglandular hairs, more densely beneath; petiole 3-8 mm long in lower leaves, upper leaves may be sessile. Verticillasters terminal, 1-2 on branches, many-flowered (up to 50), globose, 2-3.5 cm in diameter; bracts numerous, 9-13 mm long, imbricate, narrow, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, margin ciliate, equalling and concealing calyces. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, white. Calyx 1.2-1.5 cm long, tubular, slightly curved, 10-nerved, with a slightly oblique mouth, teeth 10, nearly equal, shortly triangular, acute to subulate, ca. 1 mm long, throat distinctly hairy inside and outside, hairs multicellular. Corolla 2.5-2.8 cm long, white, zygomorphic; corolla tube cylindric, included in calyx; limb 2-lipped: upper lip erect, 1.1-1.3 cm long, entire, hood-like, densely white bearded; lower lip much larger, +/- 1.8 cm long, spreading, not bearded, 3-lobed, mid lobe much larger than the 2 laterals. Stamens 4, included within upper corolla lip, didynamous; anthers ovoid, orange, bithecous, thecae divergent. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary 4-locular with one ovule per loculus, placentation axile; style 2-cleft at apex, lobes short and unequal. Nutlets 4, narrow oblong, bluntly trigonous, ca. 3 mm x 2 mm.

Flowering and Fruiting: August to October
Common Names: Head Leucas; Dharmapusp, Dronpushpi or Drona pushpin, Bishkhapru, Deldona, Dhurpisag, Goma, Goma Madhupati (Hindi)