( 



Fmn/venia.] xv. FRANKENiACEiE. 151 



t 



F 



heads, the bract-like floral leaves in whorls of 4 almost without sheaths, ovate- 

 lanceolate or nearly ovate, flat, ciliate, and closely imbricate, so as to conceal 

 the calyces. Calyx 2| to 3 lines long. Corolla and stamens of F. paucijtora. 

 Style-branches and placentas 3. Ovnles solitary to each placenta, attached 

 to rather long- funicles arising from near the base of the ovary. 



W. Australia, Lrummond, Coll. 1845, n. 136. 



3. F. glomerata, Turcz, in BidL Mosc.l^o-i, \i56S. An apparently 

 erect or ascending dichotomous shmb or undershmb of 6 to 8 in,, glabrous 

 or nearly so. Leaves opposite and clustered in the axils, linear-terete, 3 

 to 4 hues long, the margins ciliate and closely revolute so as only to show a 

 dorsal furrow, and distinctly petiolate like those of F. bracteala, biit the sheath 

 shorter. Flowers in dense, terminal, leafy heads like those of F. hradeata^ 

 but the floral leaves are linear-terete like the stem ones. Calyx slender, 

 about 3 lines long. Petals Ion*; and linear, slightly narrowed into long 

 Claws, with a scarcely prominent longitudinal line towards the top of the 

 .claw. Ovary in the iitw flowers I examined 1-ovnlate, with a simple style, 

 but perhaps not constantly so. 



W". Australia, Brummoud, Wi CoIL SuppL w. 79. 



> 



3. F. pauciflora, DC. Prod. i. 350. Shrubby and procumbent or al- 

 most erect at the base, with ascending, erect, or divaricate dichotomous 

 branches, nearly glabrous or honvy with a short down or scaly pubescence, 

 often very hw and spreading, sometimes above a foot high, attaining even 

 3 ft. according to P. "^tueller. Leaves opposite or the upper ones in whovla 

 Of 4, oblong or linear, obtuse or rarely almost acute, the margins usually revo- 

 lute so as only to show a dorsal furrow, when very narrow above 3 lines long, 

 out usually much shorter, the very short sheathing petioles ciliate on the edge, 

 ^vith smaller leaves often clustered in the axils. Flowers closely sessile in 

 the last forks, forming a more or less dense terminal leafy cyme and some- 

 times unilaterally arranged alon<'- its branches owing to tlie abortion of one 

 branch of each fork. Calyx 3 to 4 lines, or rarely only 2i lines long. Petals 

 with their claws cohering ni an angidar tube, the longitudinal appendage not 

 veiy prominent, the lamina obova"te, entire or cremdate. Stamens 5 or 6, 

 with their filaments sli-vhtly dilated and usually cohering. Placentas 3 or 

 r<irely 2. with 3 to 4 ovules to each.— Bot. Mag. t. 2896 ; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. 

 1- 40; F. scahra, Lindl. in Mitch. Trop. Austr. 305. 



N. Australia. Sturt's Creek, F. Mueller ; N. W. coast, Bynoe. 



Queensland. In the interior on the Nive river, Mitchell. _ r, „ „ 



«. S. Wales. Desert oa the tributaries of the Darling and Murray rivers, F. Mueller. 



Victoria. Saline marshes on the coast, more common in saline or sandy depressions 

 along the Murray river and its tributaries, F. Mueller. . , i i t 



Tasmania, R. Brown; abuudaut on Goose Island in Bass's Straits; found also at 

 t^iroular Head, Gunn. ,. ,.,.,.„ 



S. Australia. On the coast, and particularly abundant in the saline districts in the 

 northern part of the colony, F. Mueller and others. _^ ^^ , ^ ,. 



W. Australia. Common both on the southern and western coasts, Brummond, Loll. 

 18^3, n. 105, and m Coll. n. 77 and 78, and others; Dirk llartog s Island, A. Cu.,- 



An exceedingly variable species, which F. Mueller (PI. Vict. i. 82) unites with the co.u- 

 nioa European and African F. lavis. Linn. ; the latter species, however, much as it varies. 



