1G2 XVI. cAKYOPHYLLEi*^. [Spergularia. 



Flowers very variable in size, usually piiilc, on short pedicels, in forked cymes, 

 usually leafy at the base. Petals shorter, or rather longer than the sepals. 

 Seeds more or less flattened, often surrounded by a narrow scarious border or 

 wino-.—A. Gray, Gen. 111. t. 108 ; Hook. f. Ill Tasm. i. 41 ; F. MuelL PI. 

 Vict. i. 207; Arenarla rubra and J. mtdia, Limi.; DC. Prod. i. 401; 

 Ltphjonmn rnhram, etc., Fries, Nov. Fl. Succ. Mant. iii. 32 ; L. brevifolmn, 

 JBartl. iu PI. Preiss. i. 243; X. anceps and Z. Ztf^//^;•^/;;^ Bartl. 1. c. 244 (of 

 these last I have only seen authentic specimens of L. anceps) ; Spergularia 

 rupedris, Fcnzl, in liueg. Enum. 9 ; Schlccht. in LinnEea, xx. 633. 



N. S. VTales, Argyle couuty and Field's Plains, A. and E. Cunningham; N^>v 

 England, 0, Stuart ; Darling river, Victorian Expedition, 



Victoria. Coast meadows and suLsaline tracts of the interior, on clayey and sandy 

 soil, not unfreqnent, ascendinj occasionally into mountainous tracts, F, Mueller, ^ 



Tasmania. Abundant on the seacoast, /. D. Hooker, 



S. Australia. Near Adelaide, St. Vincent's Gulf, etc., F, Mueller. 



■W, Australia, Drurnmond, 1st Coll., 5M Colt, n, 201 and 243, Freiss, n. 1944, 

 Oldfield, and others. 



Widely spread over Europe, temperate Asia, and North America, and some parts of South 

 Araerif-a, chiefly in maritime counti-ies or in sandy heathy places more inland. There are 

 two, often rather marked varieties, one chiefly occurring inland has slender leaves, sniall 

 flowers, and short capsules, with the seeds less frequently bordered than in the larger variety, 

 which has a sometimes perennial stock, thicker somewhat fleshy leaves, and larger flowers. 

 Both forms occur in Australia and pass into each other as they do in Europe, the larger ana 

 more succulent ones are, however, the most common in Australia. 



Tribe 3. Polycarpe.e. — Sepals free, or only united by the disk at their || 

 base. Petals usually very small, tliiu aud almost transparent or none, occa- 

 sionally united \\\\\\ the stamens at the base. Stamens 5 or fewer, hypogV- 

 nous or slightly perigynous. Style single, at least at the base, with 3 or 3 

 branches or minute tcctb. 



8. DRYMARIA, Willd. 



Sepals 5, herbaceous or scarious on the edge. Petals 5, 2- to 6-cleft. Sta- 

 mens 5 or fewer, slightly perigynons. Style 3-cleft. Capsule 3-valvea- 

 Seeds laterally attached; embryo curved round the albumen. — Herbs usually 

 diffuse, rarely erect, with dichotomous branches. Leaves flat, broad or nar- 

 row. Stipules vei-y small, sometimes very fugacious or wanting. Flowers 

 pedicellate, usually small, either solitary^ in the forks, or in little axillary or 

 terminal cvmes. Petals usually shorter than the calvx. 



The genus comprises a considerable number of American species, one of wliicli is al&o 

 widely spread over the tropical regions of Asia and Africa. The Australian species is en- , 

 deaiic, and the only one which is not American. 



1. D. filiformis, Btnlh. A dabrous annual, very much branched at 

 the base, with erect dichotomous very slender shining stems 6 to 8 m. nigii- 

 Leaves chieHy crowded in a dense tuft at the base of the stem, nan-ow-liuea^' 

 almost filiform, many of them above 1 in. long, the upper leaves few and smallj 

 soon passing into minute bracts. Stipules none. Pedicels in the forks, filifortn, 

 about \ in. long. Sepnls ahout 1 line long, narrow and acute, green, shortly 

 connate at the base* Petals about one-third as long as the calyx, deeply di- 

 vided into 2 nan-ow lobes, very thin and transparent, and often very difRc"''- 

 to find. Ovarj- oblong, with an exceedingly short style, divided into 3 short 



