302 FLOEA OF TASMANIA. [Plantaginea. 
v. stellatim patentibus, integris dentatis margine lobatisve; pedunculis axillaribiis, erectis v. ascendentibus; 
floribus plerumque dense spicatis,fuscis; bracteis sub quovisfiore cymbiformibus. 
About twenty species of this genus are described as Australian by Decaisne in the thirteenth volume of De 
Candolle's ' Prodromus ;' none of them are wholly tropical, and the greater number are natives of Tasmania, and 
confined to that island.— Herbaceous, scapigerous plants, with stout, often fleshy rhizomes, and numerous radical 
leaves. Decaisne divides the f perennial roots, but I believe all are 
perennial, though when grown on sterile soil they often do not survive a second year.— Flowers sessile, bracteate, 
green or brownish, usually in dense or lax, elongated spikes, rarely solitary, or two or three, terminating long or 
short scapes. Calyx of four persistent sepals. Corolla tubular, scariose, with a spreading, four-lobed limb ; the 
lobes often with involute margins. Stamen* four, exserted, situated at the mouth of the corolla, and alternating 
with its lobes ; anthers versatile ; filaments induplicate in aestivation. Ovary two- or incompletely four-celled ; 
cells one- to four-seeded. Style long, filiform, hispididous. Capsule circumsciss, with a longitudinal dissepiment, 
that bears the seeds. Seeds jmous testa, densely fleshy albumen, and straight embryo. (Name, 
§ ]. Flowen ies. Ovary two-ceUed ; cells wi 'I!, two ovules, of which one 
occasionally does not ripen. 
a. Sepals and brads pubescent. 
1. Plantago varia (Br. Prodr. 424); hispido-pilosa, subtomentosa, foliis suberectis anguste lanceo- 
latis integris v. repando- V. runcinato-dentatis petiolo basi pedunculoque plerumque barbatis, spicis oblongo- 
cylindraceis sublaxifloris, bracteis cymbiformibus calycem subsequantibus, sepalis ovalibus obtusis carina 
lineari hispida v. pubeseente, eorollse lobis rotundato-cordatis acuminata I scis, cup--i ' sperma. — Dene. 
in DC. Prodr. xiii. 701 ; Rapin, Plantag. 463 ; Bameoud, Monog. Plant. 15 j Nees in Plant. Preiss. 490. 
P. runcinata, Dene.? 1. c. p. 702. (Gunn, 141.) 
Hab. Abundant everywhere, especially in a light soil. — (Tl. all Summer.) {v. v.) 
Distrib. Subtropical Eastern Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Swan Eiver. 
Very variable in size, from 1 inch to a span high, everywhere more or less covered with spreading, rather 
hispid hairs.— Leaves 1-5 inches long, very narrow-lanceolate, subacute, entire or toothed, or with narrow, lateral 
lobes. Petiole and peduncle with fuscous or brown hairs at the base. Peduncle erect. Spike 1-3 inches long, 
cylindrical ; flowers loosely packed, hut not so separated as to show the rachis between them. Bracts equal in 
length to the calyx. Sepali t ml rib. The 
hairs at tin bast ot the pet ih ami | Inn h ire vei i 1)1 i i q ntity ; 1 i - absent, so that I 
suspect that this ami P.rmvifs /'. hispida may not differ specifically. I have small specimens from Mr. Oldfield, 
collected on ruck- near Richmond, with only three- to five-flowered spikes, and the petioles and peduncle not 
bearded at the base ; it is evidently a starved form of P. varia. P. runcinata is sent by Gunn, from Tasmania, 
as P. varia, of which it appears to be a common variety ; Decaisne distinguishes it by being perennial, and having 
the leaves runcinate, but I am unable to distinguish the annual from the perennial species of this section, and had 
always regarded P. curia as a perennial, which Mr. Archer also believes to be the case with all the Tasmanian 
species. Decaisne describes another species, P. consanguinea, as a doubtful native of Tasmania, and allied to P. 
varia and P. runcinata, but distinguished by the entire leaves and pale corollas. 
2. Plantago Tiellidioides (Dene, in DC. Prodr. xiii. 701) ; annua, hispido-pilosula, foliis patentibus 
petiolatis spathulatis integerrimis denticulatis v. subrepando- v. runcinato-dentatis, petiolis pedunculoque 
basi barbatis, pedunculis ascendentibus gracilibus, spicis ovatis cylindraceis ovato-oblongisve, floribus ut in 
P. varia.—?. runcinata, Dene J I. e. 702. (Gunn, 867.) 
