The Geographical Distribution of the Frankeniaceae ete. 405 
Basigonia. 
The third group of Australian Frankeniae forms a part of the section 
Basigonia Ndz. It is in this section where what may be called the Australian 
type finds its strongest expression, namely, in the noteworthy species 
F. bracteata and F. glomerata. 
The method of forming the ovules in sect. Basigonia deserves special 
consideration. From the base of the ovarian chamber there arises for each 
carpel a single funicular stalk which elongates until nearly reaching the roof, 
where it makes an arch and continues its growth back toward the base, in 
the meantime, i. e., after arching, the rudiments of the nucellus and the inner 
seed coat are apparent at the apex of the funicular growth. With further 
growth the developing ovule becomes anatropous in the usual manner, but 
the funicle, beside giving the ovule the half turn and becoming coalescent 
along one side, also describes the arch above mentioned, and thus the 
ovule makes one complete rotation, coming finally to lie with the micropyle 
in the arch of the funiculus a little to one side and pointing to the stylar 
end of the ovary. In Niederleinia, each funicular stalk gives rise to two 
ovules and so may be considered as two coalesced funiculi, a not improbable 
case, for in Eufrankenia the funiculi arise from the placental surface 
approximately in pairs. 
Important to note is the fact that in this section only one seed, as a 
rule, comes to maturity. This fact must of course stand in relation with the 
narrow endemism of the species though not necessarily the chief cause 
of it. 
As indicated previously, the peculiarly Australian Frankeniae possess 
characteristics of leaf structure not found in other regions. This type is 
the most pronounced in F. bracteata, which is the species here described. 
The plant is a dwarfed shrub, but the internodes are unusually long. 
Each internode bears a pair of leaves whose coalescent bases form. a 
scarious sheath more or less 3 mm long and ample enough to enclose the 
fascicles of young leaves in the axils. At first the lamina or assimilative 
part is articulated to the distal margin of the sheath, but later falls away, 
leaving the sheath for its protective work. The lamina is unusually long 
and narrow, very compact, tightly rolled and glabrous. The epidermis is 
furnished with thick cuticle, and a quelling layer of cellulose, arranged in 
the peculiar manner of certain species of Aloe. 
In F. bracteata there is a striking peculiarity in the manner of bearing 
the flowers, which are clustered into an approximate head, well protected 
by an involucre-like developement of the leaves, which are here not rolled 
as on the stem, but widely expanded, elliptical in form. In the nearly 
allied F. glomerata the flowers are also in a head, but the encircling leaves 
