1028 LXXXII, GENTIANE^. [Villarsia. 



or reniform, more or less cordate at the base, entire or slightly sinuate-toothed, 

 rather thick, obscurely several-nerved, mostly 1 to 2in. long. Flowering stems 

 paniculately branched, leafless except small linear or lanceolate bracts, or rarely 

 bearing a single petiole leaf at the first branching. Calyx- lobes lanceolate, 

 usually acute, 3 to 4 lines long. Corolla yellow, spreading to from f to lin. 

 diameter ; lobes broad with entire or slightly denticulate margins, copiously 

 bearded or fringed inside at the base. Anthers linear. Stigmatic lobes ovate, 

 rather thick. Capsule opening at the top in 4 valves. Seeds smooth or 

 granular-tuberculate. — F. v. M. Fragm. vi. 139 ; V. pai-nassifolia, R. Br.; Griseb. 

 in DC. Prod. ix. 136 ; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i. 272 (all as to the eastern plant 

 only) ; Menyanthes exaltata, Sims, Bot., Mag. t. 1029 ; V. e.mltata, F. v. M. 

 Fragm. vi. 140. 

 Hab.: Southern localities. 



Menyanthes sarmentom, Sims, Bot. Mag. t. 1328, referred by Griaebaeh, through some 

 mistake, to Limnanthemum geminatum, appears to me to be a stoloniferous specimen of V. 

 reniformis. V. reniformis, Lindl. Bot. Reg. t. 1533, seems rather to represent the true V. 

 •parnassifolia. — Benth. 



5. LIMNANTHEMUM, Gmel. 



(Plants inhabiting lakes and marshes.) 



Calyx 5-oleft nearly to the base. Corolla almost rotate, the tube short and 

 broad ; lobes 5, with broad entire or fringed margins induplicate in the bud. 

 Ovary surrounded by 5 minute hypogynous glands, 1 -celled with 2 parietal 

 placentas ; stigmatic lobes broad, sometimes petal-like. Capsule ovoid or oblong, 

 indehiscent or bursting irregularly. Seeds few or numerous, with a crustaoeous 

 testa. — Herbs either aquatic and floating or creeping in swamps. Leaves ovate 

 or broad. Pedicels 1 -flowered, either in the tufts of leaves or 2 together or 

 clustered at the nodes of the weak stems or .close to an almost terminal sessile 

 leaf, so as to appear to be inserted on the petiole. Flowers yellow or white. 



.The genus, although with very few extra-Australian species, is, widely dispersed over the 

 temperate and warmer regions of the globe. 



Leaves almost sessile under the cluster of pedicels which appear as if 

 inserted on the petiole. Flowers white. 



Leaves 2 to Sin. diameter. Calyx 3 to 4 lines long I. L. indiciim. 



Leaves ahout lin. diameter. Stems not rooting at the nodes. Calyx- 



. lobes about 1 line long, oblong 2. i. parvifolimn, 



var.' Moonii. 

 Leaves all on long petioles. Pedicels usually 2 together at the nodes of 

 almost leafless stems. Flowers yellow. 

 Leaves mostly crenate. Corolla-lobes with a longitudinal central wing 



'"^^"* i. L. crenaUtm. 



Leaves entire. Corolla-lobes without any longitudinal wing. 

 Calyx-segments above 2 lines long. Corolla much larger. 

 Leaves usually with a deep narrow sinus. Seeds smooth or tuber- 



oulate, glabrous 4. jr . geminatim. 



Leaves usually truncate or with a broad open sinus at the base. 



Seeds densely velvety pubescent 5. i. hyctrocharoidei. 



Calyx-segments under IJ line long. Corolla small. Stems filiform. 

 Leaves ovate orbicular or with a broad open sinus. Flowering 

 stems elongated, many-flowered 6. i. exiliflormt. 



1. I., indicum (Indian), Thw. Enum. PL Ceyl. 205, not of Griseb.; Benth. 

 Fl. Austr. iv. 378. Stems from a submerged tuft formed the preceding year, 

 simple, resembling a petiole, bearing a single terminal floating leaf, nearly 

 sessile, and just below the real exceedingly short petiole an unilateral tuft of 

 pedicels and young stems, which tuft ultimately sinks, the old tuft and stem 

 dying away. Leaves orbicular or broadly oval, deeply cordate,* usually entire, 

 with a close or open sinus, of a thick consistence, palmately veined a,nd retiqulate 



