106 THE TASMANIAN FLORA. 



toothed, or entire. Flowers small, stalked, in the terminal axils. Calyx-tnbe 

 narrow. Lobes short and lanceolate. Corolla pale blue, 2-2f lines long, two upper 

 lobes small and recurved, three lower ones extending forwards. Capsule oblong, 

 linear. 



Cpmmon in saline marshy places. It occurs almost throughout Australia, 

 and extends to New Zealand, South America, and South Africa. Fl. spring and 

 summer. 



4. L. SUEEEPENS, Hook. A small glabrous perennial, the stem creeping and 

 never exceeding a few inches. Leaves obovate, obtuse, usually entire, J-1 inch 

 long. Flowers on axillary stalks, usually shorter than the leaves Calyx-lobes 

 short and broad. Corolla blue or nearly white, 3-4 lines long. The lobes 

 spreading forwards and nearly equal. Anthers not clothed with hairs, except 

 1 or 2 flat bristles tipping the lower ones. 



It occurs sparingly in many alpine marshy situations. Western mountains. 

 Fl. Jan.-Feb. 



5. L. PHATioiDES, ^ew<A. A small, creeping, more or less pubescent perennial. 

 Leaves linear to ovate, narrowed at the base, \-\ inch long, obscurely toothed, 

 rarely entire. Flowers usually dioecious, stalked. Ovary very short in staminate 

 flowers. Corolla blue, about 4 lines long. Lobes nearly equal, oblique. Anthers 

 glabrous, except a tuft of short bristles occasionally tipping the lower ones. 



Near Perth, Spring Bay, Hamilton, &c. Found also in Victoria, South 

 Australia, and New South Wales. Fl. Nov. Jan. 



6. L. IBEIGDA, R. Br. A small, creeping, glabrous, usually matted perennial. 

 ■Leaves ovate to nearly linear, mostly entire, 1-2 lines diameter. Flowers very 

 small, axillary. Calyx-lobes lanceolate. Corolla white or pale blue, about 2 

 lines long. The lobes nearly equal. Capsule about I| line diameter, fleshy, 

 indehiscent. . Seeds globular, smooth. Pratia irrigua, Benth. 



Bass Straits. Fl. 



7. L. PLATTOALYX, F. V. M. A small, creeping, glabrous perennial, the stems 

 ascending in favourable situations. Leaves linear to obovate, thick, mostly 

 j-f inch long. Flowers very small, axillary. Caly:^-lobes short and broad. 

 Corolla about I line long, white. Lobes oblique, nearly equal. Fruit ovoid, 

 somewhat flattened, fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds ovate, compressed. Pratia^ 

 flaty calyx, Benth. 



Macquarie Harbour, Bellerive, swamps near Mount Dromedary. Probably 

 common in saline marshes, but overlooked. It occurs also in Victoria and South 

 Australia. Fl. throughout the spring and early summer. 



8. L. PEDDNCULATA, R. Br. A very variable, creeping, slightly pubescent 

 perennial, resembling in habit L. pratioides on the one side and Isotoma 

 fluviatilis on the other. Leaves usually ovate, sessile or shortly stalked, broad at 

 the base, from 2 lines long and apparently distichous to f inch long and obscurely 

 toothed. Flowers on slender stalks, usually but not always much longer than 

 the leaves. Calyx-lobes lanceolate. Corolla pale blue, 2-4 lines l^g. Lobes 

 oblique and nearly equal. Fruit fleshy, globular, indehiscent. Pratia 

 pedunculata, Benth. 



Common in many parts ; also in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia,, 

 and Queensland. Fl. Nov.-Dec. 



2. ISOTOMA. 



Calyx and fruit the same as in Lobelia. Corolla-tube entire or but shortly slit 

 between the upper lobes. Stamens inserted into the upper portion of the 

 corolla-tube, but the anthers connate as in Lobelia. 



