590 LXVII. FICOIDEH (OLIVER). [ Mollugo. 
Leaves cauline, radica] usually evanescent. 
Cauline leaves linear. 
Umbels pedunculate or sessile, often confluent in a general 
diffuse inflorescence. Stigmas sessile, minute. . . . 5. DL. Cerviana. 
Umbels sessile at each node. Styles }-} as long as ovary 6. M. verticillata, 
var. 
Cauline leaves oblong-spathulate. Umbels shortly peduncu- 
late at each node 7. UU, fragilis. 
1. M. Glinus, A. Rich. Fl. Abyss. i. 48. Diffuse or ae 
annual herb, more or less often densely tomentose or villous wit 
chiefly stellate hairs; branches extending from a few inches to 1-2 ft., 
dichotomous. Leaves from rotundate with cuneate base to obovate or 
oblanceolate, apex rounded or broadly pointed, obsoletely denticulate 
or entire ; lamina 1 in. long or less, narrowed into the petiole which is 
shorter than or rarely equalling the lamina. Flowers usually in rather 
close axillary feaciales pedicels shorter than calyx. Stamens © oF 
varying to 5, with a few filamentous staminodes. Stigmas 2-9 ; style 
very short. Seeds with a conspicuous vesicular strophiole sometimes about 
as large as the tubercled seed and a straight or involute slender white 
funiculiform process.—Glinus lotoides, Loofl.; Fenzl, Mollugin. (Extr.) 
357. ‘There are two principal forms which may be specifically distinct, 
viz., 1. Stem and leaves hoary-tomentose; sepals }—} in. long. 
(Var. virens, Fenzl), less tomentose, leaves sometimes green and gla- 
brate ; sepals 2 in. 
Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Roger! Niger, Barter! 
Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper! White Nile, Consul Petherick! 
Lower Guinea. Congo, C. Smith! Loanda, Mossamedes, &c. Angola var. 
virens, a single specimen, Pungo Andongo, Dr. Welwitsch! 
Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Dr. Peters! 
Widely spread from South Europe and North Africa eastward to India and Australia; 
occurring also in America. 
2. M. Bainesii, Oliv. Glabrous, dichotomous. Leaves in pseudo- 
verticils, unequal narrow- or linear-oval acute, green, rather fleshy, 
gradually narrowed into the petiole, under 1 in. long, }—4 in. broad. 
Flowers in axillary fascicles of 3-9, pedicellate ; pedicels 1-4 times 
longer than flowers. Sepals } in. long. 
South Central. “Koobie to N. Shaw Valley,” 7. Baines! 
3. M. Spergula, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 891. Diffuse decumbent oF 
ascending dichotomously branched herb, glabrous or extremities cellular- 
pubescent. Leaves veinless, rather fleshy, in pseudo-verticils of 3-9, 
unequal, oblanceolate oval or linear-lancéolate, obtuse or acute, entire 
or obsoletely denticulate at first, 3-1 in. long, narrowed into the petiole. 
Flowers in axillary fascicles of 2 or more, or subsolitary ; pedicels 1- 
times longer than calyx, slender, reflexed after flowering. Sepals oblong 
or obovate, concave, glabrous, membranous-margined, ascending, = 
or less long. Stamens 5-6-10. Ovary oblong-ellipsoidal, 3-gon0us. 
Stigmas 8, minute, sessile or subsessile. Seeds granulate, minutely 
strophiolate ; funicle filiform involute—W. glinoides, Rich. Fl. Abyss. * 
