THE TASMANIAN FLOEA. 



15 



ELATINB. 

 Sepals, petals, and stamens usually 3. 



E. AMERICANA, Am. Small, creeping, usually densely tufted, annual. Leaves 

 opposite, broad, mostly oblong, obtuse, about 2 lines long. Flowers minute, 

 sessile, solitary, axillary. Sepals very small. Transparent petals still smaller, 

 and lost early in Tasmanian plants. JS. minima, Fiscb. 



This, the common Australian form, differs somewhat from the type, and is 

 sometimes treated as distinct, but the plant tends to vary wherever found. 



Marshes in the north, central, and eastern parts. Throughout Australia, 

 except the extreme north, New Zealand, Fiji, and North America. Fl. Oct.-Dec. 



Oedbb XIV. HYPERICACEJE. 



Pistil of 3-5 more or less united carpels. Ovarian cavities in some genera 

 distinct, others conxmon. Placentas axillary to parietal accordingly. Ovules 

 many. Fruit capsular. Sepals and petals 5, rarely 4, free. Stamens very 

 numerous, united into 3-5 bundles, hypogynous. 



HTPERICUM. 



Sepals 5. Petals 5. Carpels 3-5. Ovary common, but the dissepiments 

 deeply dividing it. Leaves opposite. 



Erect. Leaves subcprdate ... ... ... 1. S, gramineum. 



Decumbent. Leaves long ... ... ... 2. H.japonicum. 



1. H. GBAMINEQM, For.it. Erect, slightly branching, perennial, 6-12 inches 

 high. Leaves sessile, opposite, ovate-cordate, mostly acute, ^-| inch long. 

 Flowers few, stalked, cymose or solitary, terminal. Sepals fairly broad, acute,, 

 about 3 lines long. Petals exceeding the sepals, spreading, orange-yellow. 

 Capsule 3-valved. 



Common in pastares ; also throughout Australia, New Zealand, and New 

 Caledonia. Fl. spring and summer. 



2. H. JAPONICUM, Thunb. Much smaller than the last, prostrate, branched, 

 with ascending ends. Leaves smaller, more obtuse, without cordate base. All 

 parts smaller than the last, otherwise not ditfering. 



Very common in damp situations. Victoria, South Australia, New South 

 Wales. Prom Japan to New Zealand. Fl. spring and summer. 



Oedee XV. MALVACE^. 



Pistil of a single carpel, where more the carpels are arranged round a columnar 

 prolongation of the torus, each 1-seeded and falling away as an indehiscent 

 article. Flowers regular. Petals free, usually 5, hypogenous. Stamens 

 numerous, hypogynous, united at the base round the pistil, or in a central column 

 where that member is absent. Anthers 1-celled. 



A large and well-defined order, of wide distribution, but poorly represented in 

 Tasmania. 



Flowers under J inch. Carpels few 1. Plagianthus. 



Flowers much exceeding J inch. 



Involucre 3-lobed 2. Lavatera. 



Involucre 3-leaved - 3. Malva. 



1. PLAGIANTHUS. 



Carpels 2-5, rarely less or more. Bracteoles none, or distant from the calyx. 

 A genus confined to Australia and New Zealand. 



Erect, strict herb, many feet high. Flowers numerous, 



in a leafy spike \. P. s-picatus. 



