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Blennodia cardaminoides, Bentham. 



The second of the Ardrossan plants represents the " Geococcus- 

 state" of this species. But before submitting evidences of 

 such an attachment, I desire to discuss th^ advisability of the 

 Retention of the genus Blennodia, R. Brown, 1849. 



The majority of Australian botanists influenced by their 

 compeer has accepted his dictum that Blennodia is made up of 

 species of the genera Sisymbrium and Erysiinum. A critical 

 examination of the 10 species of the South Australian flora, 

 collectively included under these two generic names, satisfies me 

 that the venation of the capsule is not that proper to Sisymbrium ; 

 as in all the species, there is only a midrib, without a lateral vein 

 on each side. The midrib varies, however, in its prominence — 

 being conspicuous in B. filifolia, slender in B. trisecta, incon- 

 spicuous in B. lasiocarpa, or obsolete in B. canescens, though in 

 the related species B. curvipes there is a distinct keel on the 

 capsular valve. There is no justification for the employment of 

 Sisymbrium for some of our crucifers, and I take, therefore, this 

 opportunity to refer my S. procumbens to Blennodia as B. 

 procumberis, Tate, 1898. The seeds not distinctly in a single 

 row separate Blennodia from Erysimum as also from 

 Sisymbrium. 



Geococcus pusillus, a dimorphic plant and of what one or more 



'zs'i 



I have already referred to Bentham's perspicuity in regard to 

 G. pusillus, which subsequent investigations have proved him to 

 1)6 correct. Following on, in the order of time, I find that 

 Mueller in " Key to Victorian Plants," p. 131 (1888), under 

 Sisymbrium cardatninoides, describes the " Geococcus-state " of 

 the species in the following words : — " Or in a stemless state of 

 this plant (fruits) very short, rather thick and turgid, singly 

 forming on their stalks, and during maturation burying them- 

 selves in the ground ; the flowers of this state very minute." 

 This implies that all the Victorian plants previously quoted as 

 G. pusillus belong to Blennodia cardaminoides. In the following 

 year the same author in the fourth supplement to his " Census 

 of Australian Plants," indicates at p. 5 that " Geococcus pusillus 

 = Sisymbrium cardaminoides j'^ which implies that G. pusillus, 

 Drummond, is a dimorphism of the quoted species. This may 

 be true in the majority of cases, but in view of the fact that 

 Blennodia, in the sense used by Bentham, is represented in W. 

 Australia by the three following species only — B. trisectum, 

 B. Richardsii, and B. brevipes, it is inconsistent to regard 

 Drummond's plant as belonging to B. cardaminoides, the normal 

 -condition of which is not known to inhabit the same country as 



