886 LXVI. STYLIDIE^. [Stylidiuw. 



rosette and scape, and sometimes several successive tufts of leaves, separated by short stems 

 or branches, may be observed ; these are termed proliferous stems or branphes, and occasionally 

 emit adventitious roots from several of . the lower tufts. In a few, species the leaves are all, or 

 only the small upper ones, in almost regular whorls ; and in a few others they are alternate or 

 scattered without forming tufts. The inflorescence in different species shows every gradation, 

 from the simple raceme or raceme-like panicle to the corymb or to the diohotomous cyme with 

 sessile or pedicellate flowers in the forks. The precise, form of the corolla, the direction of its 

 lobes in the expanded flower, and the small scales or glandular appendages in the throat or at 

 the base of the labellum may be constant in many cases, and might serve for good speeifio 

 characters ; but these parts are so delicate that there is great uncertainly in describing them 

 from dried specmiens. Different botanists have described them differently in the same species, 

 and I have myself found considerable discrepancies in this respect in different flowers even of 

 the same specimens ; the characters founded on them must therefore not be absolutely relied 

 on. The colour of the flower is also said to be constant in some species, and has been made use 

 of as a specific character since the time of Brown ; but it appears to be variable in other 

 species, and in most cases it is either unknown, or only given in vague and often contradictory 

 notes of collectors Benth. 



Sect. I. Tolypangrium. — Capsule globular-ovoid, obovoid'or oblong. 



Sebies I. Zilneares. — Perennials with a tufted or shortly proliferous stock or rarely 

 annuals. Leaves radical, linear or rarely linear-lanceolate. Scapes leafless except a few 

 scattered bracts. Inflorescence racemose, paniculate or corymbose. 



Calyx-lobes united in 2 lips. Inflorescence nearly simple, long and 

 narrow. 

 Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, 2 to 9in. long. Fruit ovoid-oblong 1. S. graminifolium. 

 Leaves linear-subulate, under 2in. .long. Fruit narrow-oblong. 



Flowers small . 2. S. lineare. 



Calyx-lobes free. Inflorescence corymbose-paniculate. Capsule ovoid 

 or oblong, 1 to 1 J line long. Annual. Leaves linear-filiform . . . 3. S. Floodii. 



Sehies II. Spathulatae, — Perennials with a tufted or proliferous stock or rarely annuals. 

 Leaves radical or terminal, from linear-spathulate to obovate. Scapes leafless except a few 

 scattered h'acts. 



Leaves usually thin. 

 Stock thick and woolly. Leaves pubescent, with a hair-like point. 



Panicle narrow-thyrsoid ... 4. S. eriorhizum. 



Annuals or with a slender stem below the terminal tuft of leaves. 



Raceme long and simple . . 5. S. debile. 



Panicle loose. 



Scape with long, spreading, glandless hairs , ,6. S.floribundum. 



Scape glabrous or with short, glandular hairs 7. S. leptorhizum. 



Seeie-s III. Sparsifolise. — Undershmbs or shrubs, with linear spreading leaves scattered 

 along the branches and not collected in radical or terminal tufts. 



Petioles without adnate bases 8. S. laricifolium. 



Sect. II. Nitrang'luin. — Capsule linear or very narrow-oblong. 



Series IV. Tenellse. — Slender annuals. Leaves small or thin, alternate or scattered, the 

 loiver ones sometimes more crowded but not distinctly tufted or rosulate. 



Leaves linear, chiefly in the lower part of the stem. Bracts very small. 

 Flowers sessile. Stems very slender or diffuse. Capsule Jin. long, 

 not beaked .... 9. S. diffusum. 



Leaves in verticillate clusters at the ends of the branchlets. Terminal 

 umbels sessile. Pedicels capillary. Capsule about Jin. long, filiform- 

 cylindrical 10. S. trichopodum. 



Leaves scattered along the stem, contracted at the base, the lower ones 

 not larger, the upper ones passing into the bracts. Floral-leaves or 

 bracts opposite. Capsule sessile 11. S. alsinoides. 



Sebies V. CorymbulosaB. — Slender annuals or small perennials. Leaves radical, rosulate 

 or tufted. Scapes rarely exceeding din. Flowers corymbose ar sessile in the forks or along. the 

 scape or its branches, or solitary. 



Leaves radical, very small, oblong-linear or spathulate, not forming a 



a bulb. Flowers 1 or 2. Capsule very narrpw-linear 12. S. capillare. 



Leaves radical, not forming a bulb, the lamina thin, obovate-orbicular. 

 Flowers in a loose, irregularly corymbose panicle. Capsule narrow- 

 linear. Calyx-lips undivided, short and broad. Corolla-lobes 

 jjearly equal ,,'..,,..,, , . ' 13. S . rotundifolium. 



