Vhhi.] X. VIOLARIEiE. 68 



2. V. hederacea (like the English ground-ivy), Labill. PL Nov. Holl. i. 66, 

 t. 91 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. i. 99. Glabrous or pubescent, densely tufted or widely 

 creeping by its numerous stolons, very rarely emitting weak leafy stems. Leaves 

 reniform, orbicular, or spathulate, usually under ^in. diameter, but when 

 very luxuriant, 1 to l^in., entire or irregularly and sometimes coarsely toothed. 

 Stipules free, brown, lanceolate-subulate, Scapes usually longer than the leaves, 

 the bracts about the middle. Flowers usually small, blue, rarely white, but 

 sometimes fully fin. broad. Sepals lanceolate, with only a slight protuberance 

 below their insertion. Petals glabrous, or the lateral ones slightly pubescent 

 inside, the spur of the lower one reduced to a slight concavity. Lower anthers 

 with a very slight dorsal protuberance. Style bent at the base, the upper part 

 cylindrical, truncate at the top, but not thickened. Seeds usually dark-colouted, 

 but sometimes white. — DC. Prod. i. 805 ; Hook. Exot. PL iii. t. 225 ; Reichb. 

 Icon. Exot. t. 110; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i. 26; F. v. M. PI. Vict. i. 65; 

 F. Sieberiana, Spreng. Syst. Cur. Post. 96 ; Erpetion reniforme, Sweet, Brit. Fl. 

 Gard. ii. t. 170 ; E. hederaceum, E. petiolare, and E. spatJvidatwn, G. Don, Gen. 

 Syst. i. 385. 



Hab.: Moreton Bay, Fitzalan. 



2. lONIDIUM, Vent. 



(Name from resemblance to violet.) 



(Pigea, DG.) 



Sepals not produced at the base. Petals spreading, the lowest sometimes 

 slightly larger than the others, more frequently very much larger with a broad 

 claw, gibbous or saccate at the base. Anthers nearly sessile, or on distinct 

 filaments, the connectives flat, produced into a membranous appendage beyond 

 the cells, those of the 2 lower ones bearing a dorsal reflexed protuberance, spur, 

 or gland, the two rarely united into one. Style thickened and incurved at the top, 

 with the stigma in front. Capsule opening elastically in 3 valves. Seeds ovoid- 

 globular, with a crustaceous testa. — Herbs or small shrubs. Leaves alternate or 

 rarely opposite, usually narrow. Stipules small and narrow. Peduncles axillary 

 or in a terminal raceme, 1 or several-flowered. 



A considerable genus, chiefly tropical, and the greater number of species American ; four or 

 five are found in tropical Asia and Africa, and one of these occurs in Australia, the others here 

 enumerated are aU endemic. — Benth. 



Peduncles axillary, 1 -flowered, or very rarely here and there 2-flowered. 



Lower petal more than twice as long as the calyx. 

 Leaves entire, or rarely toothed. Appendages of the lower filaments 

 nearly glabrous. Seeds striate 1. I. suffruticosum. 



Leaves toothed. Appendages of the lower filaments woolly-hairy. 



Seeds smooth 2. I. aurantiacum. 



Peduncles 1-fiowered in the upper axils, the upper ones longer than the 



leaves, and forming a terminal leafy raceme 3. I. Veriwnii. 



Peduncles slender, much longer than the leaves, with a leafless raceme of 

 2 or more flowers. 

 Upper leaves often opposite. Sepals lanceolate, shorter than the lateral 

 petals . . . . .... . . 4. I. filiforme. 



1. I. suffruticosum (shrubby), Oing. in DC. Prod. i. 311 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 i. 101. Much-branched, glabrous, or very slightly pubescent, and usually from 

 1 to l^ft. high, and more or less woody at the base. Leaves alternate, narrow- 

 linear, or rarely linear-oblong or lanceolate, entire or rarely toothed, mostly 1 to 



