Pouzohia.] CXIX. URTICACE^. H8T 



margins and nerves of tlie leaves very slightly pubescent. Leaves on very short 

 petioles or almost sessile, the lower ones opposite the upper ones alternate, all 

 lanceolate and entire, the lower ones 2 to 2^in. long and 3 or 5-nerved, the upper 

 •ones often smaller and scarcely 8-nerved, but not reduced to small bracts as in 

 some species. Flower-clusters rather loose, the two sexes usually mixed but in 

 different proportions in different specimens. Male perianth nearly 1 line 

 diameter, with a concave almost saucer-like broad apex, usually 5-merous. 

 Female fruiting perianth with 3 or 4 rarely 2 or 5 usually unequal wings, and 

 quite glabrous. Nut black, smooth and shining. — Mcmorialis quinqueyiercis, Ham.; 

 Wedd. in DC. Prod, xvi. i. 235"; Hyrtanandra, Pou~olsia or Memorialis hjtliroidcs, 

 F. V. M. Fragm. v. 194. 



Hab.: Lagoons, Rockingham Bay, DaHacftj/ ; table-land of South Alligator River and Upper 

 Lind River, Leichhardt. 



The species is also in Sikkim, Khasia and Nepal. 



16. PIPTURUS, Wedd. 



Flowers dioecious, in dense globular clusters, with very small bracts. Male 

 perianth 4 or 5-lobed, with -ovate acute lobes. Stamens as many as perianth-lobes, 

 with a central club-shaped rudimentary pistil. Female perianth ovoid, contracted 

 and minutely toothed at the orifice, becoming slightly succulent as well as the 

 receptacle when in fruit. Ovary enclosed in and adnate to the perianth, the 

 linear elongated style or stigma hirsute on one side, and deciduous after 

 flowering. Fruit forming a small succulent globular synoarp, the slightly 

 succulent perianths, however, quite distinct at the top. Seeds with a very scanty 

 albumen. — Trees or tall shrubs. Leaves alternate, entire or toothed, often white 

 underneath, 3 or 5-nerved. Stipules axillary, deeply bifid, deciduous. Flower- 

 clusters axillary, solitary, or in interrupted spikes. * 



The genus comprises but few species, dispersed over the Indian Archipelago, the Paeifie 

 Islands and the Mascarene group. The only Australian species has the general area of the 

 genus, 



1. P. argenteus (silvery), Willd. in DC. Prod xvi. i. 235'° ; Benth. Fl. 

 Austi; vi. 185. " Thil-la-wo, " Forest Hill, Macartney. " Koomeroo Koomeroo," 

 Stradbroke Island, Watkins. " Kongangn, " Eockhampton, TIiozH. A tree 

 usually small but sometimes attaining 50ft., the young branches and underside 

 of the leaves hoary or white with a close tomentum. Leaves on rather long 

 petioles, ovate, shortly acuminate, slightly toothed or crenulate, rounded or 

 very rarely slightly cordate at the base, 3 or 5-nerved, glabrous above, 8 to Gin. 

 long. Flower-clusters distant along the rhaches of single axillary spikes, shorter 

 than or not much exeeeding the petioles, and sometimes reduced to a single 

 axillary cluster, quite globular, forming when in fruit a white edible syncarp 

 of 2 to 8 lines diameter, although not nearly so succulent as those of Monts, 

 and appearing dry in the dried specimens. — Uitica argentea, Forst. Prod. 65 ; 

 P. propinqum, Wedd. Monogr. Urt. 447, t. 15 D. 



Ilab.: Pine Head, A. Cunningham; Dawson River, F. v. Mueller; Fitzroy Island, 

 M'GilHvray, G. Moore and others; Cape York, Daemel; Kennedy District, Daintree; 

 Eookingham Bay, Dallachy ; B,ocTsh.a.m-pton, Dallachy, Boiomati, ThO^et. 



The species is also in the Indian Archipelago and the Pacific Islands. 



Wood brown, close-grained and soft. Bark yields good fibre. — Bailey's Cat. Ql. Woods, 

 No. 400. 



17. PARIETARIA, Linn. 



(From the European species being often found growing in the crevices of 



old walls.) 

 (Freira, Gatid.) 

 Flowers polygamous, in axillary cymes often reduced to loose clusters, the 

 external bracts more or less united at the base. Perianth of the hermaphrodite 



