590 lxvii. ficoide^e (oliveb). [Mollugo, 



Leaves cauline, radical usually evanescent. 

 Cauline leaves linear. 



Umbels pedunculate or sessile, often confluent in a general 



diffuse inflorescence. Stigmas sessile, minute . . . . 5. M. Cerviana. 

 Umbels sessile at each node. Styles \-\ as long as ovary 6. M. verticillata, 



var. 

 Cauline leaves oblong-spathulate. Umbels shortly peduncu- 

 late at each node . . . • 7. M.fragilis. 



1. M. Glinus, A. Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 48. Diffuse or ascending 

 annual herb, more or less often densely tomentose or villous with 

 chiefly stellate hairs j branches extending* from a few inches to 1—2 ft., 

 dichotomous. Leaves from rotundate with cuneate base to obovate or 

 oblanceolate, apex rounded or broadly pointed, obsoletely denticulate 

 or entire ; lamina 1 in. lone* or less, narrowed into the petiole which is 

 shorter than or rarely equalling the lamina. Flowers usually in rather 

 close axillary fascicles; pedicels shorter than calyx. Stamens oo or 

 varying" to 5, with a few filamentous staminodes. Stigmas 2—5 ; style 

 very short. Seeds with a conspicuous vesicular strophiole sometimes about 

 as large as the tubercled seed and a straight or involute slender white 

 funiculiform process. — Glinus lotoides, Loefl. ; Fenzl, Mollugin. (Extr.) 

 357. There are two principal forms which may be specifically distinct, 

 viz., 1. Stem and leaves hoary-tonientose ; sepals \— ^ in. long. 2 

 (Var. virens, Fenzl), less tomentose, leaves sometimes green and gla- 

 brate ; sepals \ in. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia, Roger! Niger, Barter ! 



Nile Land. Abyssinia, Schimper I White Nile, Consul Petherich I 



Lower Guinea. Congo, C. /Smith ! Loanda, Mossamedes, &c. Angola.* var. 

 virens, a single specimen, Pungo Andongo, Dr. Welwitsch! 



Mozamb. Distr. Zambesi, Dr. Peters! 



Widely spread from South Europe and North Africa eastward to India and Australia; 

 occurring also in America. 



2. M. Bainesii, Oliv. Glabrous, dichotomous. Leaves in pseudo- 

 verticils, unequal narrow- or linear- oval acute, green, rather fleshy, 

 gradually narrowed into the petiole, under 1 in. long, J— £ in. broad. 

 Flowers in axillary fascicles of 3-9, pedicellate ; pedicels 1-4 times 

 longer than flowers. Sepals J in. long. 



South Central. "Koobie to N. Shaw Valley," T. Balnes ! 



3. M. Spergula, Linn. ; DC. Prod. i. 391. Diffuse decumbent or 

 ascending dichotomously branched herb, glabrous or extremities cellular- 

 pubescent. Leaves veinless, rather fleshy, in pseudo-verticils of 3-9, 

 unequal, oblanceolate oval or linear-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, entire 

 or obsoletely denticulate at first, J-l in. long, narrowed into the petiole. 

 Flowers in axillary fascicles of 2 or more, or subsolitary ; pedicels 1-5 

 times longer than calyx, slender, reflexed after flowering. Sepals oblong 

 or obovate, concave, glabrous., membranous-margined, ascending, \ in. 

 or less long. Stamens 5-6—10. Ovary oblong-ellipsoidal, 3-gonous. 

 Stigmas 3, minute, sessile or subsessile. Seeds granulate, minutely 

 strophiolate j funicle filiform involute. — M. glinoides y Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 



