96 XVII. POETULACE^. [Calandrinh . 



3 or 4 valves, or almost indehisoent. Seeds reniform-globular or flattened, not 

 stropMolate, shining or granulate. Embryo curved round the albumen. — Herbs, 

 rarely half-shrubby at the base, glabrous or hirsute. Leaves alternate or in 

 radical tufts, more or less fleshy. Stipules none. Flowers either solitary 

 pedunculate and axillary, or arranged in terminal racemes or heads. Petals 

 usually very fugacious. 



A large genus, which besides numerous tropical; subtropical, or southern American species, 

 only contains the Australian ones here described, which are all endemic. Formerly confounded 

 with Talinum, it has been well distinguished from that gejius chiefly by the. absence of any 

 stropbiola or caruncle to the seeds, and differs from dlaytonia in the stamens always indefinite, 

 even when reduced to a number about the same as or fewer than that of the petals. — Benth. 



Stamens numerous (20 to 100). 

 Scapes leafless, 1-flowered. Leaves radical, narrow-linear . . . . 1. C. uniflora. 

 Stems more or less leafy, several-flowered. 

 Perennial. Petals very broad. Anthers linear oblong. Styles united 



at the base 2. C. balonensis. 



Annuals. Petals oval-oblong. Anthers short. Styles free to, the base. 



Styles and capsular valves 3 ... 3. C. polydndra.. 



Style scarcely any, capsular valves 4 . . . ' i. C. pleopetala: 



Stamens few. Capsule ovoid or oblong, very readily dehiscent. 

 Stamens mostly 8 to 10. Seeds pitted. Sepals broad and very obtuse. 

 Leaves oblong or shortly linear. 



Stems short, .ascending or diffuse . 5. C pusilla. 



Stems twining . . ... 6. C. voluUlis. 



Stamens mostly 3 to 5. Seeds very smooth and shining. 

 Bracts very small. Sepals under 2 lines and often under 1 line, acute. 

 Leaves oblong or linear-oblong, thick. Racemes loose. Pedicels at 



length a to 5 lines, reflexed ... .... . 7. C. calyptrata. 



Sepals obtuse 8. C. pumila. 



Stamens feto. Capsule globular, or shortly ovoid, very smooth and shining, 

 and scarcely dehiscent. , , 



Leaves linear-terete. Stamens about 15. Anthers oblong! Capsular 



valves separating at the base 9. C. spergularina. 



Leaves linear-terete. Stamens few. Seeds striate. Capsule cylindric, 



conical . . 10. C ptychosperma. 



Leaves short and broad. Capsule 3-valved, ovate ... .... 11. C. pogonophora. 



1. C. uniflora (one-flowered), F. v. M. in Trans. Phil. Inxt. Vict. iii. 41, and 

 Fraijm. i, 177 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. i. 172. Rootstock simple, cylindrical, erect, 

 bearing a dense tuft of narrow-linear leaves of 2 to 4in. Scapes numerous from 

 amongpt the leaves, 8 to lOin. high, 1-flowered and leafless, except 1 or 2 minute 

 scales. Flowers rather large. Sepals broad and thin, 3 to 4 lines ibng. Petals 

 usually 6 or 7. Stamens very numerous, the inner ones much loiiger than the 

 outer ; anthers oblong. Styles 4, erect, shortly plumose and stigmatic along 

 their whole length. Capsule about as long as the sepals, 4-valved. Seeds 

 numerous, black and shining. 



Hab.: Gilbert and Norman Elvers. 



The species is nearly allied, to two Chilian ones, C. rupestris. Barn., and C. graminifolia, 

 Philippi. — Benth. 



2. C. balonensis (from Balonne River), Ldndl. in Mitch. Trop. A2istr. 148; 

 Benth. Fl. Austr. i. 172. Apparently perennial, erect, branching, 6in. to 1ft. 

 high or rather more. Leaves thick and fleshy, the lower ones oblong-spathulate 

 or obovate, lin. long or less, the upper ones linear or lanceolate, often above 2in. 

 Flowers large, purple,' in loose terminal racemes, on pedicels of about lin. 

 Bracts scarious, acuminate, mostly opposite, but only one of each pair has a 

 flower in its axil. Sepals very; broad and obtuse, herbaceous, obscurely veined, 

 with a scarious margin. Petals very broadly obovate, fully fin. long. Stamens, 

 very numerous ; anthers narrow-oblong. Style 3-lobed, the lobes thick and 

 nearly twice as long as the entire base. 



Hab.: Sandy soil oni the Balonne river, Mitchell. 



