THE TASMANIAN FLORA. 



23a 



4. GAIMARDIA. 



Flower solitary in the lower bract, tlie upper with a rudiment only. Carpels 

 2, united along the median line, each 1-seeded. Fruit a capsule. Very close to 

 Centrokpis, differing in the pistil, which is similar to the form found in 



A small genus, spreading from New Zealand to South America. 



G. FiTZGiEALDij F. V. M. et Rod. Small, in densely-matted cushions, 2 inches 

 to 2 feet diameter. Leaves filiform, tipped with a fine hair. Scape ^ inch long, 

 slender. Lower floral bract glabrous, about 1 line long, with an obtuse or 

 toothed apex, upper bract rudimentary. Scales none. Stamens 2, alternating 

 with the carpels. 



Adamson Peak, and in places along the range from Hartz to La Ferouse, 

 Mount Geikie, and other mountains of the West Coast. 



Order LXXXVII.—RESTIACE^. 



Flowers nearly always unisexual, in spikelets, each flower contained in 1 or 

 more scarious bracts or glumes. Perianth more or less obscure, of 6, or fewer, 

 generally unequal, scarious, glume-like segments. Male flowers of 3 stamens, 

 very seldom with the rudiment of an ovary. Female flower with a single 

 1-3-celled ovary, with 1 pendulous ovule in each cell ; sometimes rudimentary 

 stamens or staminodia are present. Styles slender, as many as the cells. Fruit 

 a hardened capsule, where moi'e than 1-celled splitting along the angles. Leafless. 



The order is intermediate in habit between the rushes and sedges, and can be 

 always distinguished from the latter by the sheathing bracts having their edges 

 free and not combined to form a tube. It is almost confined to the Southern 

 Hemisphere, but has a very wide range. 



Surface of stems minutely rough ... ... ... 1. Lepyrodia. 



Surface of stems smooth. 

 Spikelets all similar. 



Spikelets relatively large, mostly terminal ... 4. Mestio. 

 Spikelets relatively small, sessile, often lateral .. '2. Rypolcena. 

 Spikelets dissimilar and on different plants. Bracts 

 dark-brown. 

 Fruit splitting when ripe ... ... ... ... 3. Leptocarpus. 



Fruit not bursting... ... ... ... ... 2. Sypolcena. 



1. LEPTRODIA. 



Perianth-segments 6, nearly equal. Ovary 3-angled, 3-celled. Flowers 

 dicBcious, in small heads, often forming interrupted spike-like panicles. Spikelets 

 usually few-flowered, the glumes not closely imbricating or enclosing the 

 perianth. 



The genus is confined to temperate Australian distribution. 



Stems simple. Flowers in a simple, interrupted, 



compound, spike-like panicle ... ... ... 1. L.muelleri. 



Stems repeatedly branched. Flowers in small 



clusters, in a much-branched inflorescence ... 2. L. tasmanica. 



1. L. MUBLLERi, Benth. Stems sitnple and erect, from a creeping rootstock, 

 generally 1^-2 feet high, the surface very finely nodulated ; with a few closely 

 appressed bracts at intervals, about \ inch long, and mostly with a subulate- 

 lamina about 2 lines long. Flowers in small clusters, along the upper portion of 

 the stem, often distant from one another, and each cluster with a loose bract at 



