Victorian Plants. 163 



PARIETARXA. 



783. Generally of annual duration. 



A small herb ; leaves tender, scattered, from ovate and 

 rhomboid to almost cordate, their three nmin-venules 

 arising from the base together ; flowers few together in 

 cymes or almost in clusters; bracts from linear to lanceolar 

 or sometimes from ovate to cordate. P. debilis. 



AUSTRAX.XNA. 



784. Leaves from lanceolar-ovate to orbicular, largely and 



bluntly denticulated. 



A small perennial herb ; leaves tender, mostly scattered ; 

 flowers axillary, two or few together, the staminate and 

 the pistillate flowers distinct. A. pusilla. 



CASUARXXTBAE. 



CASUARINA. 



785. Arboreous ... ...... ... ... ... 786 



Shrubby ......... ..... ... 788 



786. Seed-like fruits grey. 



Branchlets rather robust, ascending, faintly streaked, 

 greyish-green ; whorls producing nine to sixteen very 

 short denticular rudimentary leaves ; strobile-like fruit- 

 masses depressed, rather small ; valvular seed-bearing 

 bracteoles very prominent. C. 



Seed-like fruits dark-brown ............ 787 



787. Branchlets rather robust, drooping. 



Branchlets well streaked, dull-green ; whorls producing 

 nine to twelve pointed denticular rudimentary leaves; 

 strobile-like fruit-masses rather large ; valvular seed- 

 bearing bracteoles conspicuously protruding. 



C. quadrivalvis. 



Branchlets rather slender, ascending. 



Branchlets dark-green ; whorls producing six to eight 

 minute denticular rudimentary leaves ; strobile-like fruit- 

 masses rather large ; valvular seed-bearing bracteoles 

 prominent, with a thick dorsal iippendage. Figure 25. 



C. suberosa. 



