148 Alfred J. Eivart .■ 



specimens are somewhat dwarfed, being only 2-4 inches in height,. 

 but agree in general characters with the above species. The plant 

 has no economic value, and shows no signs of being a more trouble- 

 some weed than the ordinary plantains. 



Plantago Psyllium, L. "Fleawort Plantain." (Plantaginaceae). 

 Nantawarra, 15 miles N.N.E. Pt. Wakefield, at the head St.. 

 Vincent's Gulf, S.A., Prof. T. G. B. Osborn, Noveml^er, 1916. 



This plant is a native of the Mediterranean regions, South-West 

 India, and the Orient, and has not previously been recorded as a 

 naturalised alien for Australia. Professor Osborn reports it to be 

 spreading rapidly, and that it may become another Stinkwort, as 

 it has an unpleasant smell. The seeds appear in the Pharmacopoeia 

 as Semen Psyllii. These, from their resemblance to fleas, give the- 

 plant the name of "Fleawort." Their mucilaginous outer coat 

 gives them the same properties as flax seed, viz., demulcent and 

 emollient, and they can be used internally or externally. 



Stylidium. (Stylidiaceae). 



Maiden, in his Census of New South Wales plants (1916) follows^ 

 F. V. Mueller in reversing the nomenclature adopted by Bentham 

 and by R. Brown, and using the name Candollea (Candolleaceae)- 

 for this genus and order. Schonland, in Englers Pflaiizenfamilien, 

 also followed the advice of F. v. Mueller on this matter without 

 giving any other reasons. Mr. Maiden, however, gives definite 

 reasons as follows : — " The genus Candollea (Candolleaceae or Styli- 

 diaceae) was founded by Labillardiere in 1805. One year later the- 

 same author applied the name Candollea, apparently by an over^ 

 sight, to another genus (Dilleniaceae). As both genera could not 

 stand, Swartz changed Candollea (Candolleaceae) in 1807 into 

 Stylidium, and consequently the order into Stylideae, but in doing 

 so he made the twofold mistake of changing the name of the plant 

 that had undoubtedly the claim to priority, and of selecting a 

 name, Stylidium, already applied by Loureiro in 1790 to a genus of 

 Cornaceae. There can be no doubt that F. v. Mueller was right in 

 restoring the name Candollea to the genus first named so by Labil- 

 lardiere (Candolleaceae). Labillardiere's second genus, Candollea 

 (Dilleniaceae), of course, had to go, and is now united with 

 Hibbertia." 



In regard to Swartz's supposed errors, the genus of Cornaceae 

 referred to is the Marlea of Roxburgh, which is now Alangium, 

 Lam. The " Stvlidium chinense " of Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch, ed. 



