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Strobilanthes (From strobilos a cone)

(from strobilos, a cone, and anthos, a flower; alluding to the form of the inflorescence, particularly when in a young state). Cone Head. Including Goldfussia. ORD. Acanthaceae. A large genus (about 180 species) of stove, usually erect herbs or subshrubs, for the most part natives of the East Indies, a few extending as far as China and Japan, and the Malayan Archipelago, and one being found in tropical Africa. Flowers blue, violet, or white, very rarely yellow, capitate, or in strobiliform or interrupted spikes, or panicled, sessile or sometimes pedicelled; calyx deeply and nearly equally five-cleft, or two-lipped, with one lip very shortly three-toothed; corolla tubular-ventricose, straight or curved, with five ovate or round, nearly equal lobes; stamens four or two; bracts and bracteoles large or small or absent. Leaves opposite, often unequal (in S. anisophyllus often apparently alternate), toothed or nearly entire, often bearing raphides. The species described below are very beautiful, stove sub-shrubs, all from India, and merit a place in every collection. They are of easy culture in any light soil. Propagation may be effected by cuttings, inserted in similar soil, under a glass, in heat.

S. anisophyllus (unequal-leaved).* fl. lavender-colour; corolla 1 1/4in. long; bracts elliptic, obtuse; heads small, often cymose. June. l. very unequal or pseudo-alternate, lanceolate, acuminate at both ends, glabrous, 3 1/2in. long, 2/3in. to 1in. broad, the opposite leaf of each pair 1 1/4in. long and 1/6in. broad, or obsolete. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1823. SYNS. Goldfussia anisophylla (B. M. 3404), Ruellia anisophylla (H. E. F. 191), R. persicifolia (B. R. 955). S. consanguineus (related). fl. blue, in compound, axillary and terminal spikes; corolla 2/3in. long, the lobes ovate, acute. June. l. ovate, acuminate, obscurely toothed, glabrate, prominently lineolate above. h. 2ft. to 5ft. 1873.

S. glomeratus (clustered).* fl. purplish; corolla 1 1/4in. to 2 1/4in. long, glabrous; heads ovoid, sub-sessile, hairy, often pseudoaxillary. November. l. ovate, 4 1/2in. long, acute, serrated, narrowed or rounded at base, villous above, less so beneath; petioles 1/4in. to 1in. long. h. 2ft. to 6ft. 1838. (B. 155, and B. M. 3881, under name of Goldfussia glomerata.) S. g. speciosus (showy). fl. of a full, if not bright, purple, showy. (B. M. 4767, under name of Goldfussia glomerata speciosa.) S. isophyllus (equal-leaved).* fl. lavender-colour, similar to those of S. anisophyllus. Autumn. l. opposite, nearly equal, linear-lanceolate, attenuated at both ends, glabrous, 3in. long; petioles 1/4in. or less in length, or wanting. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1845. (B. 244 and B. M. 4363, under name of Goldfussia isophylla.) S. Sabinianus (Sabin's). fl. lavender-colour; corolla 1 1/4in. long, curved, much ventricose, nearly glabrous; spikes 2in. to 4in. long, pubescent, mostly solitary. March. l. petiolate, broadly elliptic, shortly acuminate at both ends, 6 1/2in. long, nearly entire; uppermost ones often sessile and cordate. h. 2ft. to 5ft. 1826. (B. R. 1238, under name of Ruellia Sabiniana.) S. scaber (rough). fl. yellow; corolla symmetric, 3/4in. to 1in. long, very hairy within; bracts 1in. long; spikes 1in. to 2in. long, dense, often clustered, hairy. May. l. elliptic or obovate, acuminate, 4 1/2in. long, coarsely scabrous or nearly smooth; petioles 3/4in. long. h. 1ft. to 3ft. 1836. A pubescent or hairy shrub. (B. R. xxvii. 32.) S. sessilis (sessile). fl. pale purple; corolla 1 1/4in. long, nearly straight, slightly hairy within and without; spikes 1in. to 2in. long, cylindric, exactly strobiliform. April. l. sessile, ovate, acute, hairy, 3/4in. to 1 1/2in. long, rounded or nearly cordate at base. Stems numerous, erect, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. high. 1833. (B. M. 3902.) S. Wallichii (Wallich's).* fl. blue, solitary or in pairs; corolla 1 1/4in. long, nearly straight, with short, round segments; lower bracts leaf-like; spikes 1in. to 6in. long, often flexuous or zigzag. October. l. elliptic, acuminate, 3in. long, puberulous or glabrous. on petioles 3/4in. long; upper ones sessile and cordate. h. 6in. to 2ft. 1858. (B. M. 5119, under name of Goldfussia Thomsoni.)