500 LXXXIII. SCROPIIULARINE/E. 



[PepUclinm 



be reunited with Microcarprea, in which Smith had placed the common species. The 

 anthers appear to have been erroneonsly described as bilocular. 



Flowers sessile or nearly so. Capsule globular, obtuse ^* ^ humijusun . 



riowers distinctly pedicellate. Capsule ovoid, acute 2. P. Muellen. 



huxnifusum 



A dwarf I 



prostrate glabrous plant, creeping and rooting at the nodes, sometimes tom- 

 ing dense tufts of 2 oi^ 3 in. diameter, sometimes spreading to a considerable 

 extent. Leaves ovate obovate or orbicular, obtuse, entire, eoiilracted mto a 

 short petiole, rathei^ tllick especially when small, i to ^ in. long or rarely 

 rather larger (in very wet situations'?), tlie sliort petioles of each pair con- 

 nected bv their membranous margins. Flowers sessile or nearly so in 

 axils. Calyx scarcely above 1 line at the time of flowering, with 5 prominent 

 .angles or folds and membranous between them, the teeth short and obtuse. 

 Corolla-tube rather shorter than the calyx, the lobes very short and romided. 

 Filaments ratlier thick^ especially towards the base, angularly ii_^curvea. 

 Capsule globular, large for the plant, very obtuse, enclosed in the ^^^^*^^^^^1 

 calyx, about 1^ lines diameter, membranous and indehiscent or at leug i 

 bursfino; irregularly towards the h^ise. —Microcarpa^i cochlear if oha,^ feiji- » 

 Hook. Bot. Misc. iii. 95. t. suppl. 29, and other synonyms quoted m tne 

 'Prodromus.* 



N. Australia. Upper Victoria rivef, F, Mueller. T)irliii^ 



Queensland. Rocl^hampton, 0' Shanes^; Cape river, Boioman; between tue i^a n 

 and the Lachlan rivers, Burkitt. 



The species extends over the greater part of tropical and subtropical Asia and Africa. 



2. P. Muelleri, Benth. Stems procumbent, much firmer thaii^w 

 P. humifusum, and riot rooting at the nodes, glabrous or sparinglyscabro ^^^ 

 pubescent. Leaves petioUite, ovate or obovate, very obtuse, entu-e, ra 

 thick, 4 to 8 lines long. Flowers usually 2 together in each axil, on pedic 

 of 1 to 2 lines. Calyx tubular, 1^ lines long, 5 -angled, with obtuse teetii^ 

 Corolla-tube nearly as long as the Calyx; lobes oval-oblong, at least ha • 

 long as the tube, with 2 very prominent ridges (rudiments of stamuioaia .; 

 in the throat opposite the sinus of the lower lobes, which are entirely ""^^^ ^P 

 in F, hiimiftmm. Filaments scarcely curved. Capsule ovoid, acute, rea j 

 opening in 2 or 4 valves, although not quite ripe in our specimens. 



*!. ''tt ''^'^^t^^^ia- ■Copper Victoria river, F. Mueller. Several specimens of ^^"-^^^^l^ . 

 the Hookerian herbarium, sent by F. ]MiielIer as a large-leaved variety of i". '^'^I'"\y. jta- 

 but, besides the foUage, the pedicellate and lon-er flowers, the shape of the '^o''°"^' . ;,ii is 

 nieus and the frnit appear to me to be quite different from those of P- kimifttsum, 

 remarkably constant iu its character throughout its very extended range. 



17. MICROCARP^A, B. Br. 



Calyx tubular, 5-augled, 5-toothed. Corolla with a short tube nnd ^^ 

 nearly equal lobes (the 2 upper more united, the lowest rather la^f ^^ ,-^„;i- 

 mens 2 ; filaments filiform ; anthers 1-celled (by the confluence of i «' ^ 

 cate cells). Ovar)' completely 2-ceUed. Style short, dilated upwards in 

 broad spathulate lamina curved over the stamens. Capsule ovoid, i""-' .g 

 an the calyx, opening lociilicidally in 2 entire valves, leaving the traus 



