40 



PORTULACACE^. 



215. Portulaca tuberosa Roxb. 



A fibrous-rooted annual or a tap-rooted biennial or perennial ; 

 stems loosely branched, i-ljft. high ; leaves 1-lJin. 

 long ; petals -Jin. long, bright yellow, styles 5-cleft. 



When growing in saline spots a tap-root is developed, and 

 the plant ceases to be annual ; as inland districts are ap- 

 proached this form gradually disappears and is replaced 

 by a fibrous-rooted annual which constitutes the P. 

 fllifolia, F. V. M. The distinctions mentioned in the 

 " Flora Australiensis " are not constant. 



216. P. digyna F. v. M. 



Prince Regent's River (J. Bradshaw and Allen), Lennard and 

 Isdell Rivers. (W.V.F.). 



Stems prostrate, covering 6-12ins., and along with the branches 

 and leaves red coloured ; leaves orbicular, thick and 

 succulent ; flowers pink ; stamens often reduced to five. 



217. P. bicolor F. v. M. 



Prostrate, forming patches 3-6in. across ; flowers yellow. 



218. P. austrahs Endl. 



Prince Regent's River (J. Bradshaw and Allen) : Broome, 

 Isdell River (W.V.F.). Flowers yellow. 



210. Calandrinia strophiolata, F. v. M. 



Radical leaves terete, succulent, to .Sin. long, those on the 

 scapes above lin., pedicels J to above lin. long ; flowers 

 ^fia. across, reddish-purple ; petals 10-12, narrow- 

 spathulate, mucronate ; stamens numerous, irregular ; 

 anthers pale yellow or purplish ; styles five. 



In sandy soil. 



220. O. quadrivalvis F. v. M. 



Yule and Sherlock Rivers (J. Forrest) ; Isdell River, near 



Grace's Knob (W.V.F.). 

 Usually of straggling habit but sometimes erect or ascending, 



flowers red. 



221. C. Tepporiana (W.V.P.) n. sp. 



A glabrous annual with a succulent, cylindrical tap-root, 

 the stock surmounted by a dense tuft of terete fleshy 

 leaves ; scapes erect and ascending, 1-6 or more arising 

 from the leaves, leafless excepting 1-2 very small scarious 

 scales ; flowers few, each on a slender pedicel and forming 

 short racemes, rarely panicles, on the upper portion of 

 the scape ; bracts ovate-lanceolate, acute, scarious, sepals 

 broadly ovate, mucronate-acuto, very thin ; petals 6-8, 

 lanceolate ; filaments numerous, short ; anthers oblong ; 



