80 



VIII. cuucirEK.^. [Geococcus. 



bordered, with long funicles; cotyledons incumbent. — A stemless herb, with 

 radical pinnately-divided leaves, ripening Its pods underground. 



The genus is limited to the following species. 



1. G. pusillus^ JrDnimm. in Hook. Kew Journ, vii. 52. A stemless, 

 tufted annual. Leaves all radical, spreading, 1|- to 3 in. long, pinnately 

 divided, witli triangular or shortly lanceolate lobes, tlic lower ones distinct, 

 the ultimate ones confluent. Flowers in our specimens imperfect, on short, 

 erect, radical peduncles. Petals, according to Drummond, oblong, not 

 clawed, shorter than the calyx. Fruiting peduncles lengthening to from I to 

 1 in., recurved so as to bury the pod in the ground. Our pods are irre- 

 gularly ripened. 



AV. Australia. Noi-thcrn districts, on the limestone part of Conolly's Station, Drum- 

 man d. 



This curious little plant, unknown from any other locality, may possibly prove to he a 

 condition of some species having usually dimorphous flowers, in which the more perfect ones 

 are not developed. If so, it may very likely he a Blennodia^ of some species of which it 

 has the radical leaves. 



11. MEWKEA, Lehm. 



Sepals spreading, equal at the base. Petals short, clawed. Pod hroadly 

 oval or linear-oblong, obtuse, very flat; the valves quite flat, 1 -nerved, with 

 reticulate veins ; septum none or very narrow, bordering the replnm ; stignia 

 sessile. Seeds numerous, very small, in two series, suspended from free 

 capillary funicles along the replum ; cotyledons incumbent. — Small annimls. 

 Leaves few, linear, entire. Flowers small, Avhite. 



The genus is endemic iu AV. Australia. 



Pods ovate, ahout 2 lines lon^, iu loose slender racemes 1. 3f. mistrahs. 



Pods narrow-ohlong, 4 to 5 lines long, in short dense racemes . . . 2. ilf. dritboides. 



1. M, australis, Lehm. in Ml Seem. Ilorl, Hamh. 1843, 8. A small, 

 slender, glabrous annual, branching at the base, very much resembUng 

 Capsella procumhens. Kadical leaves linear-oblong or lanceolate, entire or 

 with 1 or 2 coarse teeth, about ^ inch long including the petiole ; stem- 

 leaves small and few. Flowers white, very minute, the sepnls about ^ hj^^ 

 long, the petals but little longer, with the lamina obovate or oblong. Fruit- 

 ing racemes loose and slender, with filiform pedicels of 3 to 4 lines. Pods 

 ovate, abont 2 lines long.— Bunge, in PI. Preiss. i. 259 ; Stenopetalim p'O' 

 cnmbens, Hook. Ic. PI. t. 610 ; Menkea procumhens, F. Muell. Fragm. ii- 

 142 ; PL Yict. i. 222, 



KT. S. 'Wales. Darling river, F. Mueller, 



Victoria. Murray desert, F. Mneller. 



XV, Australia, Urummond, Coll. 1813 n. 87 aud 00; Frelss, it, 1937. 



2, M. draboides, Hook.f. A smaller plant than if. auslralis, the stems 

 seldom exceediug 3 in., but more robust and branching. liadical leaves 

 about I in, long, linear-oblong or lanceolate. Flowers small, with obovate- 

 oblong petals, apparently yellowish. Fruiting racemes short and dense, with 

 pedicels of 1 to 2 lines. Pod narrow-oblong, acute at the base, 4 to 5 linf^^ 

 long and 1 to 1^ lines hxQB.d.~Stenopetalum draboides. Hook. Ic. PI. t. 617 ; 

 Iltnkea australis, F. Muell. Fragm. ii. 142, not Lehm. 



W. Australia, Bnmmond, ColL 1843. 



