70 THE TASMANIAN PLOKA. 



2. NBRTERA. 



Calyx 2-lobed or obsolete. Flowers usually bisexual, otherwise with the 

 structure of Coprosma. 



Widely spread in the Southern Hemisphere. 



N. DEPRESSA, Bunks. Small, prostrate, pale green, herbaceous. Leaves 

 broadly ovate, 1-2 lines long. Flowers solitary, in the terminal axils. Fruit 

 globose, red, about 2 lines diameter. 



South Cape Bay, West Coast; Western Mountains ; also occurring in Victoria, 

 New South Wales, New Zealand, and extending to South America. Fl. 

 Nov.-Dec. 



:3. OPERCULARIA. 



Flowers in axillary heads. Sepals .3-5. Corolla .3-5-lobed, short. Stamens 

 3-5. All the flowers in a head usually blended towards the base, the inner 

 Ovarian walls forming a deciduous operculum. 

 Limited to Australia. 



Usually glabrous. Leaves mostly exceeding \ inch. Capsules 



about 2 lines long :• l. O. ovata. 



Usually scabrous. Leaves mostly under J inch. Capsules 



about 1 line long 2. O.varia. 



1. 0. OVATA, Hook. Very variable. Prostrate, spreading perennial, from 

 few to many inches, usually smooth or nearly so. Leaves broadly ovate to 

 lanceolate, obtuse or acute, shortly stalked, mostly ^-1 inch long. Flowers few 

 together, in staall sessile or shortly-stalked axillary heads. Seeds broad and 

 smooth. 



Near Launceston, near George's Bay. It occurs also in Victoria, South 

 Australia, and New South Wales. Fl. Oct.-Jan. 



2. O. VABIA, Hook. Very variable in growth and details. A prostrate or 

 ascending perennial, seldom exceeding many inches, usually somewhat scabrous 

 or coarsely pubescent, but sometimes glabrous. Leaves oblong to linear, nearly 

 sessile, mostly ^-\ inch long. Heads axillary, few-flowered. Seeds broad, 

 rugose, the inner face concave, 2-ribbed. 



Very common in dry stony places ; also in Victoria, South Australia, New 

 South Wales, and Queensland. Fl. Oct -Jan. 



4. ASPERULA. 



Calyx not apparent. Corolla tubular and 4-lobed. , Stamens 4, inserted 

 towards the mouth of the corolla tube. Style 2-lobed. Ovary 2-celled, with 

 1 ascending ovule in each. Fruit a small, dry, indehiscent, 2-lobed capsule. 

 Seldom developing perfect stamens and pistils on the same plant. 



A small and widely-distributed genus, closely allied to Oalium. 



A. OLiGANTHA, F. V. M. An extremely variable perennial, seldom exceeding 

 a few inches, depressed, sub-erect, or climbing amongst undergrowth. Leaves 

 from narrow ovate to linear, acute, in whorls of 4, 6, or 8. Flowers few together, 

 in the terminal axils, shortly stalked or nearly sessile. Corolla-tube about 1 

 line long, lobes about the same length. Pistillate flowers with a rather shorter 

 tube. 



Common in all situations and attitudes. Found throughout Austi'alia, except 

 the north and western portion. P'l. spring and summer. 



The varieties in selected specimens are so distinct that botanists have, from 

 time to time, made many species of the plant. In the field 1 have found it 

 impossible to keep the varieties distinct. 



