THE ITiOEA OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. 93 



A tall undershrub (6 ft. high), with herbaceous stems of considerable fodder 

 value, so much so that it has almost disappeared from the stocked portions of 

 the interior. Aboriginal name of the Dieyerie tribe of Central Australians, 

 Batha-oorroo. The natives eat the foUage. Bluebush. 



Recorded. Upper Victoria River, and Sturt's Creek, F. v. Mueller ; Gulf 

 of Carpentaria, Landsborough ; in the interior, M'Douall Stuart's Expedition. 



2. C. nitrariaceum, F. v. M. — ^N.W. Coast, Bynoe. 



C. atriplicinum, F. v. M. ; C. carinatum, R. Br. ; Recorded in National 

 Herbarium Census from North Australia. 



4. ATRIPLEX, Linn, 1735. 



{Endol&pis, 1'orr., 1860) ; Halimus, Walk., 1822 ; Obiorie, Gaertn., 1791 ; 

 Phyllotheca, Nutt., 1849 ; Pterocarya, Nutt., 1849 ; Pterochiton, Ton., 1845 ; 

 Schizotheca, Lindl., 1847 ; Thelophyton., Moq., 1849). 



Saltbushes. 



Series I. Dioecious or semidioecious scaly tomentose shrubs, the male 

 clusters in more or less branched or paniculate dense or interrupted leafless 

 spikes. 



Fruiting-perianths flat. — 4. A. Moquiniana. 



Fruiting-perianths with thick convex valves. — 5. A. nummularia. 



Series II. Monoecious, decumbent, procumbent, or spreading herbs, scaly- 

 tomentose or very rarely green. Male flowers in globular clusters surrounded 

 by a few females in the upper axils or rarely forming a short terminal spike, 

 females clustered in the lower axils without males. Fruiting perianths more or 

 less compressed, conspicuously 2-valved. 



Fruiting perianth flat, rhomboidal, the valves free almost or quite to the 

 base, closing over the fruit. — 3. A. humiUs. 



Fruiting perianth with a compressed turbmate base half enclosing the fruit, 

 shorter than or not longer than, the valves. 



Leaves nearly orbicular, about 1 in. diameter. Fruiting perianth 

 stipitate, the valves more than twice as broad as the tube. — 1. 

 A. angulata. 

 Leaves narrow, usually green, J to 1 in. long. Fruiting perianth 

 sessile, rhomboidal, the valves not broader than the tube. — 6. 

 A. semibaocata. 

 Fruiting perianth with a globular ovoid or sUghtly compressed tube 

 enclosing the fruit, the valves shorter than the tube. 



Spreading (or erect). Leaves broad mostly toothed and 2 in. long 

 or more. Fruiting perianth 1 to 1| lines diameter. — 29. A. 

 varia. 

 Diffuse. Leaves obovate or oblong, rarely above 2 lines long. 

 Fruiting perianth 1 to 1 J lines diameter. — 2. A. elachophyUa. 

 Series III. — Monoecious spreading or procumbent herbs or undershrubs 

 scaly-tomentose or mealy. Flowers axillary. Fruiting perianths not com- 

 pressed, enclosing the fruit, the orifice small closed by small erect appressed 

 valves. — 7. A. spongiosa. 



1. A. angulata. Benth. — Henbury Station, Finke River, G. F. Hill (No. 

 27), 7/3/1911. Good fodder. 



2. A. elachophyUa, F. v. M. — ^Desert of Sturt's Creek, F. v. Mueller. 



3. A. humilis, F. v. M. — Subsaline banks of Flinder's River, Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, F. v. Mueller. 



