1g4 THE TASMANIAN FLORA. 



spike on which fruit forms much elongating, and a stalk of 2-3 lines long forms 

 at the base of the fruit, and becomes thick, fleshy, and red. 



Common in most parts. It occurs almost throughout Australia. Fl. 

 Sept.-]Srov. 



2. E. STKiCTA, R. Br. In the typical form erect, much-branched, 4-10 feet, 

 the branches slender and striate. In some Tasmanian forms the branohlets are 

 coarse and grooved, while in others they are slender and drooping. Leaves 

 minute, acute, soon falling, or in some slender forms persistent. Flowers few 

 together, in small, lateral, sessile clusters, minute. Fruit similar to the last, 

 only the fleshy pedicel usually white, though in some forms also red. 



Very common ; also South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. PL 

 spring. 



3. E. HTJMIFOSA, R. Br. A small, prostrate, spreading shrub, the branchlets 

 coarse and grooved, but not compressed. Leaves minute, scale-like, alternate, 

 persistent. Flowers and fruit not essentially differing from the last. 



Mounts Wellington, La Perouse, Dundas, and probably most other mountain- 

 tops. Fl. Nov.-Dec. 



4. B. NANA, H. Small, prostrate, with numerous slender, compressed, and 

 grooved branohlets. Leaves minute, opposite, persistent. Flowers and fruit as- 

 in E. stricta. 



St. Patrick River, Thomas Plains, Great Lake ; also in Victoria. Fl. 

 Wov.-Dec. 



MONOCOTYLEDONS 



Okdbe liKXlY.—HYDROCHARIDE^. 



Flowers unisexual. Perianth of 3 or 6 obscure or petaloid segments 

 Stamens usually few. Ovary inferior, 1-oelled, with 3 parietal placentas or 

 partially divided into 3 cells. Ovules numerous. Fruit capsular. 



The order contains diverse forms of water plants, and is distributed almos# 

 throughout the woHd. 



Leaves radical, long ... ... ... ... 1. Vallimeria. 



Leaves opposite or whorled ... ... ... ... 2. Elodea. 



1. VALLISNERIA. 



Staminate flowers numerous, minute, in a large enveloping bract at the base of 

 the leaves, deciduous before opening. Perianth of 3 segments. Stamens 1-3, in 

 a central column. Pistillate flowers solitary, on a long coiled peduncle. Perianth 

 6, the 3 inner ones small and narrow. Stigma 3-fid. 



V. SPIRALIS, Linn. Submerged and stoloniferous. Leaves sword- shaped, 

 1-3 feet long, \-l inch wide. Pistillate flowers about 1 inch long, on a coiled 

 peduncle long enough to reach the surface. In Tasmanian plants the peduncle 

 is seldom much recoiled after fertilisation. 



Jordan River, South Bsk; also throughout Australia. Widely distributed 

 in the Northern Hemisphere. Fl. Jan. 



The Tasmanian form described above is much more robust than the type. 



