276 CONSPECTUS POLYGALAKUM EUROP.EARUM. 



A very distinct species, without any near affinity. Very diffi- 

 cult to examine satisfactorily in herbaria, owing to the extreme 

 fugacity of the flower. Widely distributed throughout the coun- 

 tries bordering the Mediterranean. A very leafy form occurs in 

 Italy and the South of France. 



Section. Pleuranthus, (?^ii7ii), [Poly (/(don, DC, ex- parte). 

 Kacemi plerumque axillares vel extra-axillares, rarius termi- 

 nals. Sepala i)ersistentia, omnia discreta, superius inferioribus 

 multo majus ; als XDetaloidese vel herbaceae. Petala lateralia a 

 carina plusquam dimidio libera ; carina galeata, distincte triloba, 

 cristata. Filamenta plerumque supra libera, infra in vaginam 

 coalita. Stjdus brevis vel elongatus ; stigma simplex vel rostra- 

 forme. Capsula late alata vel sfepius exalata ; arillodium galeatum, 

 inapiDendiculatum, vel tribus appendicibus subffiqualibus munitum. 



The species of this section are in general very well-marked 

 from those of the preceding one by the axillary racemes, which 

 cause a very distinct habit ; P. supina and Hohenackeriana, however, 

 form connecting links in this respect between the two. With the 

 exception of these two species, the anthers are never completely 

 sessile on the sheath or antherophore. The three external sepals 

 are much more unequal than in the first section, the superior 

 being much larger than the two inferior ones and often gibbous. 

 The species are either annual or perennial. The largest sub- 

 section, consisting entirely of annuals, is characterised by the 

 green oblique wing- sepals ; but this is confined to Tropical Asia 

 and Australia, with two or three species in Tropical Africa. The 

 remaining species are distributed through TroiDical and Tem^Derate 

 Asia and Eastern Europe, with a few species in Northern Asia, 

 and one or two extending to Western Euro^De, Australia, and 

 Tropical and Northern Africa. Out of nearty thu-ty species five 

 only occur in Europe. 



A. Anthers sessile ; stigma beaked ; wing-sei)als petaloid. 



14. P. SUPINA, Schreb., Dec, p. 19 ; DC, Prodr., i., 374; Griseb., 

 Fl. Kum., i., 240; Led., Fl. Koss., i., 270 ; Boiss., Fl. Or., 

 i., 471. P. caulibus filiformibus, puberulis, decumbentibus 

 vel ascendentibus ; foliis obovatis, obtusis, brevitcr petio- 

 latis ; raccmis paucifloris, laxis, axillaribus ; sepalis exte- 

 rioribus ciliatis, inaBqualibus, superiore quam inferius multo 

 majore, basi gibboso ; alis petaloideis, obovatis, basi cuneatis, 

 corollam a^quantibus ; carinte lobis lateralibus rotundatis ; 

 antheris sessilil)us, in duabus phalangibus in filamentorum 

 vaginam positis ; ovario valde insequilaterali ; stjdo elongate, 

 stigmate rostraeformi ; ca^osula obcordata, intequilaterali ; 

 seminibus hu'sutis, pyriformibus, aj)pendicibus duabus mu- 

 nitis, dimidium seminis vix attingentibus. 



Syn. p. andrachnoides, 'WiWd., Sp., iii., 875. P. Gundehheimeri, 

 C. Koch in Linn., xix., 59. P.ho.ynta, Heuff. in Maly, 316 ; 

 et in Flora, 1853, p. 620 ; Neih-. Diagn., p. 20. 



