180 THE TASMANIAN FLORA. 



line long, each on a very short stalk, or the males often with 2 flowers on a 

 common stalk. Fruit dry, compressed, about |-f line long. 



Very common in damp places and sides of creeks, especially in hilly situations. 

 It occurs also in New Zealand. Fl. spring and summer. 



2. A. MUELLEEi, Wedd. A rather robust, succulent, depressed, and ascending 

 herb. Leaves alternate, stalked, the lower ones often small and orbicular, the 

 upper ones ovate or elliptical, coarsely and bluntly toothed, 1-2 inches long. 

 Flowers in sessile axillary clusters, the staminate ones 2-4, on a very short 

 peduncle, the pistillate ones more numerous. Perianth and fruit not differing 

 from A. pudlla. 



In damp situations on the southern slopes of Mt. Wellington. It grows 

 with A. pmilla, without developing intervening forms. It occurs also in Victoria. 

 Fl. S'ov.-Dec, 



3. URTICA. 



Stamens and pistil on separate flowers. Staminate flowers with a deeply 

 4-segmented perianth, 4 stamens, and a rudimentary pistil. Pistillate flower 

 with the perianth deeply divided into 4 segments, of which -2 are much smaller 

 than the others. Ovary with a sessile tufted stigma. Fruit dry, surrounded 

 by the persistent perianth. 



The genus is widely spread in temperate regions. 



Leaves mostly cordate at the base. Flowers in rather 



loose divided panicles ... ... ... .- ... 1. U.incisa. 



Leaves narrowed at the base. Flowers in short spikes 



or panicles 2. U. urem. . 



1. U. INCISA, Poir. A coarse perennial, decumbent at the base, with erect 

 stems, often many feet high, clothed with coarse stinging hairs. Leaves 

 opposite, ovate to lanceolate, the broad ones at least with a cordate base, stalked,' 

 margin coarsely and acutely toothed, mostly 2-3 inches long. Inflorescence 

 axillary, in usually branched panicles, bearing only staminate or pistillate 

 flowers in the same panicle. Perianth about f line long. 



Common in damp woods. It occurs nearly throughout extra-tropical 



Australia, is common in New Zealand, and is closely related to U. dioica, Linn., 



of the Northern Hemisphere. Fl. spring and summer. 



♦ 

 2. U. UEBNS, Linn. A succulent annual, decumbent, with erect stems, 



usually 1-2 feet high, clothed with coarse stinging hairs. Leaves 



opposite, stalked, more or less elliptical, narrowed at the base, coarsely 



and acutely toothed, mostly 1-2 inches long. Inflorescence axillary, in 



short, rather dense, panicles or racemes. Staminate and pistillate flowers 



mixed in the same cluster. Perianth similar to TJ. incisa, only the 



larger divisions of the pistillate flowers usually bear a stinging hair 



about their centre. 



A common European weed Introduced, and widely spread. PI. 



spring and summer. 



Oedee LXXI. CASUARINE^. 



Staminate flowers few together, in the sheaths of branch segments, forming 

 terminal cylindrical spikes. Pistillate flowers very numerous, in small dense 

 cones. Staminate flower consisting of a single stamen. Pistillate flower 

 without a perianth, contained in the axil of a bract and 2 bracteoles, and 

 consists of a minute 1-celled ovary bearing 2 ovules. The style with 2 long 



