144 XIV, POLYGALE/T.. [Comespenna. 



N. Australia. Islands of the N. coast, R. Brow7i {Herh. E. Br.), 



4. C. spinosuxn, F, Maelh Tragm. i. 144. A rigid, mucb branclied, 

 glabrous, leafless sLrub, the branches scarcely sulcate, the smaller ones ending 

 in rigid thorns. Leaves all reduced to minute subulate scales. Flowers few, 

 scattered singly on the short branches. Outer sepals free, broad, rigid, not 

 1 h'nc long; inner sepals broad, about 2 lines. Petals rather longer, lateral 

 Ipbes of the keel-petal short and broad, lateral petals as long or rather longer. 

 Capsule naiTow-oboyate, about 3 lines long, shortly acuminate, contracted be- 

 low the middle, but scarcely stipitate. Seeds (which I have not seen) shortly 

 and densely villous, wnthout any appendage, 



^V. Australia. Saudy tracts, Fitzgerald ranges, and West Mount Barren, Maxwell, 



5. C. volubile, Lahilh PL Nov. HolL ii. 24, L 163. A glabrous twiner, 

 with numerous branches, sometimes extending to a considerable length, rarely 

 short and tlexnose, or almost erect. Leaves few, the low^er ones oblong- 

 linear or lanceolate, sometimes above an inch long and narrowed into a petiole, 

 the upper ones linear or rarely obovate, small and distant. Eacemes axillary 

 or terminal, loose, 1 or rarely 2 in. long, sometimes 2 or 3 together. Flowers 

 blue or rarely white, on pedicels of 1 to 2 lines. Outer sepals very broad, 

 obtuse, about 1 line long ; inner sepals fully 3 lines long, nearly orbicular, 

 distinctly clawed. Keel-petal with 2 oblong lateral lobes turned inwards in 

 eestivation and overlapped, at least at the top, by the 2 large, obovate, lateral 

 petals. Style dilated upwards, but not winged. Capsule 4 to nearly 5 lines 

 long, rounded, truncate and often slightly acuminate at. the top, nearly H 

 lines broad, and gradually narrowed into a rather broad stipes. Seeds oblong, 

 the Ions: hairs forming the coma much fewer on the sides than on the edges. 



—DC. Prod. i. 334 ; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i. 31 ; F. Muell. PI. Vict. i. 191 ; C. 

 tortnosmn, Steetz, in PL Preiss. ii. 303 ; C. (jraclle, Paxt. Mag. v. 145, with 

 a tig. 



N, S. "WTales. Port Jackson to the Blue Mountauis, R, Brown, Sieber, ??. 3C6, and 



otbers ; Twofold Bay, F, Mueller, 



Victoria. Forest and scrub country, widely distributed over the colony, T. Mueller. 



Tasmania. R. Brown ; throughout the island, ahuudaut \\\ liirht soils, climbing over 

 Lushes, etc., a most beautiful plant, well known as the ' Blue Creeper,' /. i>. Hooker, 



S. Australia. WhiUaker ; Spencer's Gulf, Jrailnalon ; Quicken Bay, F. Mueller. 



"W. Australia- King George's Sound, II. Brown, Fraser ; Swan River, Drummond,^ 

 Coll. 1843, n. 485. Some of these specimens, probably after having been eaten do\vu,bave 

 short, ilexuose, or almost erect stems. 



a paucifoHum, Turcz. in Bull. Mosc. 1854, ii. 352, from W. Australia, Gilbert, n. 86, 

 would appear from the character given to be very uear C voluhile and CI ciliaiuw, but is 

 said to have a shrubby, erect, much-b ranched stem. It is possible that the idea may bavc 

 been sug;gested by stunted specimens of C. volubile, such as those above alluded to. 



6. C. ciliattun, Sleetz, in PI. Pre'm, ii. 304. Very near C. vohthUe, 

 with similar glabrous, twining, sulcate brandies. Leaves still fewer, very 

 small, rigid and acute, usually ciliate with stiff hairs. 33racts linear-siibiilate, 

 also ciliate, Flowers blue or pinlc, rather smaller than in C. volubile, iiuich 

 more numerous, in rather dense terminal racemes of 2 to 3 in. Outer sej^als 

 ovate-oblong, obtuse or almost acute, above 1 line Ion"-; inner sepals and 

 petals like those of C. volt/bile, but much smaller. Capsules on long pedicels, 



