^mea.j FLORA OF TASMANIA 45 
Distrib. New South Wales and South-eastern Australia. 
A very different species from am of the above, rxtivm.lv variable in size ami habit, from a small, tufted, de- 
pressed plant, with stem, and branches h-2 inches long, to a lax. robacandent, robust herb, with - 
5 feet high, scrambling amongst bu-ln - 1. almost winged, glabrous, seabrid. pilose or tomcn- 
tose. Leaves \— I \w\\ lung, subulate, lanceolate, patent-recurved, acuminate, pungent, genrralb . 
sessile amongst the leaves, on short or long, stout, erect, smooth or hairy pedicels, |-J inch in .1 
subulate-lanceolate, pungent, grooved, as long as or longer than the deeply bifid white petals. 
Gen. IV. COLOBANTHUS, Fenzl. 
Sepala 4-5, herbacea. Petala 0. Stamina 4-5, disco perigyno inserta. Sfyli 4-5. Capsula 4-5- 
valvis, polysperma. — Herbse caspitosa j foliis plerisque suhulatis ; floribus inconspicuis, viridibus. 
Tufted Antarctic, American. New Zealand, and Tasmanian herbs, of which few species are known. — /saves ge- 
nerally subulate, densely crowded. Flotter* terminal, sessile or peduucled, -re. n. S,puh four or l\\r. met, her- 
baceous. Petals none. Stamens four or five, inserted in ftperigyAOM disc. Ora/y one-celled, with many basal 
ovules, and four or five styles. Capsule with ibur or live valves and numerous nefc | Named : 
mutilate, and av6os, ajlwcer; in allusion to the want of petal*.) 
1. Colobanthus Billardieri (Fend, Ann. Yienn. Mas. i. W) ; ac:uilis, cnspitosus, foliis grammcis 
rigidis curvis setaceo-clongatis trigonis superne eanalieulatis basi late vagitiatis, pcdunoul^ • 
longioribus abbreviatisve, floribus 5-meria, Beptiia eentahn supcrantihus.— M .Inf. i. II; I 
27. Spergula apctala, Lai. Ft. X. EoU. i. t. 182 ; DC. Prodr. i. 395. (Gunn, 966, 9GG ?) 
Hab. Northern and central parts of the Island: Circular Head, Wookorth, Arthur'- 1. 
sandy soil, Gunn. — (Fl. Nov.) 
Distkib. Xew Zealand and Campbell's Island. 
A small, densely tufted, grassy-leaved plant.— S/,-,,,* scarcely any. or very short. Leaves springing from the root. 
riable in length, thickened below the flower, which is erect, l|-2 lines long. Sepals ovate-subulate, acuminate. 
, green, much longer than the five-valved capsule. 
ds (Hook. fil. Joura. Bot. ii. 410) ; omnia C. Billardieri, sed sepalis acumi- 
natis capsula multo brevioribus. — Hook. Ic. PL t. 266. (Gunn, 967.) 
Hab. Alpine districts: Hampshire Hills and Franklin River, Gunn. — (Fl. Jan. Feb.) 
Very similar to the preceding, of which it is possibly a variety, but the leaves are longer aud more flexuose, 
the flowers smaller, and the sepals much shorter than the ripe capsule. 
Nat. Ord. XIII. LIXEJE. 
The Lbiea, almost all included in the genus Linum, abound in the north temperate zone. Planchon 
has discussed the affinities of the Linece at length, and thrown much light upon them by the examination of 
some new and curious tropical genera of the Order ; through these he allies them to Erythroxylea, Turneracece, 
Sauvagesieae, Frankeniacea, Passiflorcr, /In,. '.,■',<!<■•-,;. ll : . r > ,-'.■■[,:• •?. and T> r.-.^nuniacem, etc., as well as to 
Elatinece, with which they have more obvious affinities ; in fact, many of these supposed affinities must be 
regarded as founded on analogy, and, though not all to be rejected, I am inclined to agree with Asa Gray, 
who says (Gen. PL X. Am. ii. 105) "that on the whole, the light thrown by Planchon on the affinities 
of the Order does not invalidate De CandokYs remarks, that the Order is about equally allied to Caryo- 
phyllea, Elatinea, Malvacea, and Geraniacea (or Oxalidea)." 
