342 FLORA OF TASMANIA. [Euphorbiacea.- 
liberis connatisve. Fcem. Calyx 6-p Litis v. masculo similibus. Corolla 0. Ovarium 
3-loculare, loculis 2-ovulatis ; stigmatibus 3, recurvis, robustis, intus stigmatosis, apice bilobis. Capmla 
3-cocca; coccis stigmatibus persistentibus rostratis, 2-valvibus, 1-spermis. — Suffruticuli ; foliis alternis ter- 
nisve, linearibus ; floribus axillarib* nculatis. 
I find about eight plants referable to this genus in the Hookerian Herbarium ; they are chiefly natives of the 
southern parts of the continent of Australia, occurring both on the east and west coasts. All appear to be small, 
somewhat shrubby plants, with very minute flowers, and small, coriaceous leaves. M. hexandra is a small shrub, 
with numerous, erect, leafy branches, and .iuchlets. — Leaves in threes, linear-obovate or lanceo- 
late, acute or acuminate, i~| inch long, rigidly coriaceous, suberect, quite entire, nerveless, with thickened margins 
beneath, and a prominent costa. Flowers monoecious, axillary, solitary or binate or tern ate ; peduncles one- 
flowered, ebracteate, shorter than the leaves. Calyx of six spreading pieces, in the male and female flowers alike; 
three outer pieces narrower, inner imbricate, orbicular. Stamens about six, with unequal filaments, dilated into 
broad connectives ; anthers adnate, their cells introrse, longitudinally two-valved, the valves waved. Ovary oblong, 
three-lobed, three-celled ; cells two-ovuled ; the lobes each narrowed into a short, stout, recurved, two-lobed stigma, 
papillose from the apex to the base on the inner face. Fruit an oblong, woody capsule, about | inch long, of three 
cocci, each with a strong, recurved apex, and one seed. Seeds narrow-oblong \ lc 1 o 1 aing, with a large 
caruncle at the top. Column, to which the cocci are attached, filamentose. (Name from the minute flowers.) 
1. Micranthea hexandra (Nob. in Lond. Journ. Bot. vi. 283); frutescens, foliis ternis lineari- 
obovatis oblougis laneeolatisve acuminatis rigidis subtus marginibus incrassatis costaque valida, floribus 
axillaribus solitariis 2-3-nisve, pedunculis folio brevioribus, staminibus 6. (Gunn, 35.) 
Hab. Moist, shady ravines, near Launceston, etc., Scott, Lawrence, Gunn.— (¥l Oct.) 
Distrib. New South Wales and Victoria. 
Gen. VI. PORANTHERA, Budge. 
Mores monoici. Calyx coloratus, 5-partitus, laciniis itnbricatis. Petala 5, calyce multo breviora. 
Masc. Glondvlce 5, petalomm basi inserta, carnosse, bilobse. Stamina 5, circa ovarii rudimentum squamu- 
losum inserta; flamentis filiformibus liberis; antheris 4-locularibus, poris totidem dehiscentibus. Fcem. 
Glandula in annulum 10-lobum connate. Ovarium 6-costatum, 3-loculare, loculis 2-ovulatis ; stylis 3, 
bifidis, lobis subulatis. Capmla depresse globosa, verrucosa, 6-costata, 3-cocca; coccis 2-valvibus, 2- 
spermis. Seminis testa carnosa, foveolata, alba.— Fruticuli v. herbas, ramosissimi, glabri ; foliis alternis, 
sfipulafis, integerrimis; floribus ad apices ramulorum confertis, subracemosis ; pedicellis bracteatis ; bracteis 
inferlurUjiix bmyioribu^foUaceis, si'JjidVulncrantibus. 
A genus of small, herbaceous, often weedy, prostrate plants, confined to extratropical Australia and Tasmania. 
— Stems often branched in a racemose or subumbellate manner. Leaves small, alternate, stipulate, quite entire ; 
the upper forming foliaoeous bracts, or surrounding the inflorescence with a kind of involucre. Flowers small, 
wlite.-.Poraniiera microphylla is a small, glabrous, herbaceous plant, with a woody root, giving off very numerous, 
spreading, slender, prostrate, ascending branches, 2-6 inches long, simple or di-trichotomously divided. Leaves 
opposite and alternate, with small, membranous stipules, obovate-spathulate or elliptic-lanceolate, acute or acumi- 
nate, crowded or fascicled towards the branches, and then often linear, and sometimes uniformly recurved. Flowers 
small, crowded towards the tips of the branches, monoecious. Calyx white, of five unequal petaloid lobes. Petals 
five, small, irregular. Stamens five, inserted round a rudimentary ovarium; filaments free; anthers four-celled. 
Ovary globose, six-ribbed, seated on a lobed disc, with three two-lobed styles. Capsule membranous, depressed, 
of three two-seeded cocci. Seeds small, brown. (Name from ™ P o S , a pore, and av%> ; in allusion to the dehis- 
cence ot the anthers.) 
