plectra nth us

[Pref. plectr (o)-, and anthos = a blo om, so named because the corolla is spurred or gibbous above the base.] Bot.: The typical genus of Plectra nth i dae (q. v.). Calyx campanulate, five-toothed; corolla with an exserted tube, the upper lip three or four cleft, the lower entire. Known species forty-five, from Southern Asia, Africa, and South America. Plectra nth us rugosus , a small shrub growing in the Him a lay as, is used in India as bedding, and is said to keep off fleas. P. cra ifolius is valued in India as a per fume and a spice. plěc-tro-, pref. [Greek plēktron =a plectrum, a cock's spur.] Nat. Science: Used chiefly for a spur, more or le like that of a cock.