392 LXXX. BOEAGINE.E. 



5. HELIOTROPIUM, Linn. 



(Schleitleuia, ^ndL) 



Calyx deeply divided into 5 segments. Corolla with a cylindrical tube; 

 lobes 5, spreading, plicate and imbricate in the bud. Stamens inserted in 

 the tube; anthers often mucronate or acuminate and sometimes cohering by 

 their tips, included or the tips slightly protruding. Ovary entire, 4-celled, 

 with 1 laterally attached or pendulous ovule in each cell; style terminal, 

 short or long, the stigma or stigraatic summit broadly umbrella-shaped or 

 with a fleshy ring surrounding the base of a more or less distinct^ central 

 cone or point. Fruit more or less 2- or 4-lobed or furrowed, separating nito 

 4 1-seeded nnts, or iu species not Australian into 2 hard 2-seeded carpels. 

 Seeds with a scanty or rarely with a rather thick albumen. — Herbs luuler- 

 shruhs or rarely shrubs, with appressed and strigose or with rigid and spread- 

 ing hairs, very rarely glabrous. Flowers usually small, sessile or pedicellate 

 in one-sided simple or once- or twice-forked spikes, with or without bracts, 

 ^vhich when present are often not innnediately under the pedicels. . 



The genus is widely dispersed over the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe, a few 

 species extending beyond the tropics both in the northern and the southern hemisijteres. 

 Of the twenty-one Australian species, three belong to the warmer regions of the 01dA>orla, 

 chiefly abuudaut in Africa and western Asia; one is widely spread over the temperate and 

 subtropical regions of the Old World ; another extends over the seacoasts of aljnost aU 

 warm countries ; the remaining sixteen, as far as known, are all endemic. AH the Austra- 

 lian species belong to the genus or section o( Beliotropijm proper as limited by De Ian- 

 done, or to Eeliotropium and SchJeidenla as defined by Fresenius (in Mart. Fl- i^ras.). 

 The section Ueliophytuni, with the fruit separating into 2 2-seeded carpels, estabhshed D> 

 De Candolle as a genus, comprises the H, indicum, Linn., a very common S. Asiatic «ee , 

 but which does not appear to have been yet found in Austraha. 



Sect. I. Platygyue.— iS/?>»2^ nearly sesnie, umhrella-shaped, without my disiuici 

 central co7ie. 



Glabrous and glaucous prostrate perennial \, H. curassavicum. 



Sect. II. Euheliotrop!um.— 5if2>;;2^ a thick ring at the base of or roundji central 

 cone or point. Anthers obtuse or shortly acuminate, nol cohering {e-ccept m H. Diac > 

 gj-ne ?). Throat of the corolla not bearded. 



Flowers in scorpioid forked or rarely simple spikes, without bracts. 

 Leaves pctiolate or contracted at the base. 

 Style shorter than the stigma. 



Leaves ovate, flat. Anthers obtuse 2. ^. eiiropmm. 



Leaves oblong or lanceohite, rugose, unduhite. Anthers very , , / «, 



shortly acuminate . . . %, JJ. undidatnm. 



Style longer than the stigma. ' ' * 



Leaves oblong or lanceolate, contracted into a very short petiole 4. E. asperrimum. 



Leaves ovate, undulate, on long petioles . . • 5. i^- cnspafffm, 



J?lowers few, sessile within the uppermost leaves oi' forming leafy 



spikes. Leaves sessile, small. 

 Leaves linear-lanceolate, rather crowded. Anthers scarcely ^ . , ,,^ 



pointed. Style longer than the stigma .6. ILfasciculatum. 



Leaves lanceolate, almost imbricate. Anther-points long. Style 



longer than the stigma . . 7. E.vestdum^ 



Leaves lanceolate or linear, distant.' Anther-points long.' Style ' , , „,,,, 

 very short ^ ^ 8. E. Iracnygy^^^' 



Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate," crowded.' Anther- points short' ' ^ ..^^ 



Stigma all but sessile . . ^ E. ep^criaem- 



