578 CHENOPODIACE. [Rhagodia.. 
and orache. Many of the species are common weeds of cultivation, and several 
of these have become naturalised in New Zealand. Of the 6 indigenous 
genera, 5 are widely spread in temperate and tropical climates, the remaining 
one (Rhagodia) is confined to Australia and New Zealand. 
A. Stems leafy, not jointed. Stamens 3-5. 
Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual. Perianth hardly en- 
larged in fruit. Fruit a berry. Embryo annular .. 1. RHaGopia. 
Flowers usually hermaphrodite. Perianth hardly enlarged 
in fruit. Fruit a dry utricle. Embryo annular .. 2. CHENOPODIUM. 
Flowers unisexual ; females enclosed within 2 bracts which 
are much enlarged i in fruit. Embryo annular 3. ATRIPLEX. 
Leaves fleshy, semiterete. Perianth simply enlarged and 
fleshy in fruit. Embryo spiral : 5. Suapa. 
Leaves fleshy, pungent-pointed. Perianth enlarged and 
winged in fruit. Embryo spiral 5c 4c .. 6. SALSOLA. 
B. Stems jointed, leafless. Stamens 1 or 2. 
Flowers sunk in cavities between the joints fs .. 4. SALICORNIA. 
1. RHAGODIA, R. Br. 
Shrubs or more rarely herbs. Leaves alternate or subopposite, 
sessile or petiolate. Flowers small, hermaphrodite or moncecious, 
rarely dicecious, sessile or very shortly pedicelled, in axillary 
clusters or in terminal spikes or panicles; bracts wanting. 
Perianth 5-lobed or -partite; segments obtuse, concave, hardly 
enlarged in fruit. Stamens 5 or fewer, inserted at the base of the 
perianth ; filaments subulate, flattened. Ovary subglobose; styles 
2 or very rarely 3, linear or subulate. Fruit a small globose or 
depressed-globose berry, free from the perianth. Seed horizontal, 
flattened; testa crustaceous; embryo annular, surrounding the 
copious mealy albumen. 
A small genus of 11 species, all Australian, but one of them found in New 
Zealand as well. 
1. R. nutans, R. Br. Prodr. 408.—A much-branched prostrate 
or procumbent herb, green or the young leaves and branches more 
or less clothed with white mealy tomentum; stems 9-24 in. long, 
usually hard and woody at the base. Leaves opposite and alter- 
nate, petiolate, +-lin. long, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate or 
hastate, acute, cuneate or truncate or cordate at the base, entire, 
rather thin. Flowers minute, polygamous or dicecious, arranged 
in short loose-flowered spikes or panicles in the upper axils or ter- 
minating the branches. Perianth-segments ovate, obtuse, mealy- 
tomentose. Male flowers usually with 3 stamens; female flowers 
with 1 or 2 abortive stamens. Ovary depressed-globose; styles 2. 
Fruit globose, fleshy, bright-red, tin. diam.—Benth. Fl. Austral. 
v. 156; Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 408. 
