Tillaea.] 



XXVI. CRASSULACEAE. 



141 



Oeder XXVI.-ORASSULACBAE. 



Calyx 3-20-toothed or divided, inferior. Petals as many as the sepals or 

 twice as many, perigynous. Stamens as many as the sepals or some multiple of 

 them. Carpels as many as the sepals, free, frequently with a small fiat scale at 

 the base of each ; ovules several ; styles very short, or the stigmas sessile. Fruit 

 a follicle, opening down the ventral suture. Seeds few or many. Endosperm 

 thin and fleshy. Embryo straight. Annual or perennial succulent herbs, often 

 minute, rarely shrubs. Leaves succulent, exstipulate. Flowers usually ter- 

 minal, paniculate or cymose, rarely in axillary ckisters. 



Genera, about 15. Species, about 420, Widely distributed. 



1. TILLAEA, Linn. 



Sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels 3 or 4, rarely 5, all free except the 

 sepals, which are usually coherent at the base. Carpels usually with a minute 

 scale at the base of each. Fruit of 3 or more minute follicles, 1- or several- 

 seeded. Flowers minute, axillary, solitary or clustered, rarely in terminal leafy 

 cymes or panicles. Small annual rarely perennial herbs, with opposite more 

 or less succulent leaves. Often minute. 



Species, about 25 : widely distributed. Two of the New Zealand species extend to Australia, 

 another to South Chili and tlie Falkland Islands ; the others are endemic, except the naturalised 

 T. trichotoma. Some of the species vary greatly when growing in water. 



Named in honour of Micliael Angela Tilli, an Italian botanist. 



* A scale at the back of each carpel. 

 Stem trichotomously branched 



t Flowers large. 

 Stems rather stout, red. Flowers Jin.-J-in. in diameter 

 Stems brown. Flowers ^^in. in diameter 



\] Flowers minute (except in 7). Stems filiform or capillar 



Leaves close-set or imbricate. . 



Leaves spreading, distant. Style reflexed 



Leaves spreading, obtuse. Peduncles thickened upwards 



Leaves acute. Sepals exceeding the petals 



Leaves ovate-subulate. Carpels 8-seeded 



*• Scales 0. 

 Erect. Flowers crowded in the axils of the leaves, solitary 

 Prostrate, minute, matted, green 

 Subereot or prostrate, red 

 Flowers on capillary peduncles 



* T. trichotoma, Walp. Bep. ii. 251. Stems trichotomously branched from 

 the base, tufted, about lin. high. Leaves linear-oblong, J^in.^^in. long, flat above, 

 convex below. Flowers in 8-5-flowered terminal cymes. Sepals 4, coherent at the 

 base. Petals 4, ovate, slightly shorter than the sepals. Stamens 4. Scales 4. Car- 

 pels 4, with a short oblique style. Seeds 6-7 ; testa minutely reticulate. 



NORTH Island: naturalised. Auckland, Gheeseman ! Whanganui, Andrew! Sept., Oct. 

 South Africa. 



• T. trichotoma. 



1. T. moschata. 

 •2. T. Helmsii. 



matted. 

 3. T. Sinclairii. 

 i. T. Novae-Zelandiae. 



5. T. pusilla. 



6. T. acutifolia. 



7. T. multicaulis. 



8. T. Sieheriana. 



9. T. debilis. 



10. T. diffusa. 



11. T. purpurata. 



