1488 CXIX. URTICACEiE. [Parietaria. 



and male flowers deeply divided into 4 rarely 3 lobes, with as many stamens, in 

 the females with a more developed tube and smaller lobes without stamens. 

 Ovary in the hermaphrodite and female flowers free within the perianth-tube, in 

 the males rudimentary. Style filiform or very short, with a densely tufted linear- 

 spathulate recurved stigma, deciduous after flowering. Nut enclosed in th& 

 variously enlarged perianth, that of the hermaphrodite flowers usually cylindrical, 

 not succulent. — Annual or perennial much-branched herbs, pubescent with more 

 or less prehensile hooked hairs. Leaves alternate, entire, 3-nerved or 

 triplinerved. Stipules none. 



The genus is dispersed over the greater part o£ the globe, the only Australian species being 

 one of the widest range. 



1. P. debilis (weak), Forst. Prod. 73 ; Beiith. Fl. Austi: vi. 188. A dififuse 

 more or less pubescent branching annual of 6in. to above 1ft. Leaves on slender 

 petioles, ovate or cordate, obtuse or acuminate, membranous, green on both sides 

 or hoary underneath, 8-nerved from the base, varying from under ^in. long in 

 some specimens to above lin. in others. Flowers 8 to 7 together in axillary 

 cymes almost reduced to sessile clusters, the 8 or 4 external bracts shortly united 

 at the base. Perianth-lobes usually 4 but sometimes 3 only. Fruiting perianth 

 ovoid, that of the central hermaphrodite flower, although enclosing a perfect nut, 

 often remaining unchanged and scarcely above ^ line long, those of the lateral 

 female flowers more or less enlarged, sometimes f to 1 line long. Style scarcely 

 any besides the dense stigmatic oblong tuft of hairs. — Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. i. 344 ;. 

 Wedd. in DO. Prod. xvi. i. 285'"' ; P. sqxialida, Hook. f. in Hook. Lond. Journ. 

 vi. 285 ; Freirea australis, Nees in PI. Preiss. i. 638. 



Hab.: Brisbane River, Darebin Creek and Buchan River, F. v. Mueller. 



The species is spread over the ftopical and temperate regions both of the New and the Oldi 

 World, with the exception of Europe and North Asia. 



18. AUSTRALINA, Gaudich. 



(Australian). 



Flowers moncEcious, in the same or different axillary clusters, the males few 

 together (1 to 5) sessile on a very short common peduncle, the females sesiile or 

 on very short pedicels. Male perianth irregularly bilabiate, the outer lip inflexed 

 in the bud. Stamen 1, without any rudimentary pistil. Female perianth ovoid- 

 tubular, obscurely 5-toothed. Ovary enclosed in the perianth but free, with a 

 linear style villous especially on one side and persistent. Nut enclosed in the 

 persistent perianth. — Dififuse or prostrate branching perennial herbs, with the 

 habit of Parietaria. Leaves petiolate, alternate or rarely opposite, crenate or 

 obtusely-toothed, membranous, 3-nerved. Stipules small. 



Besides Australia, this genus is met with also in New Zealand and tropica! Africa. 



1. A.. Muelleri (after Baron Mueller), Wcdd. Monogr. Urt. 545 ; and in DC, 

 Prod. xvi. i. 235™ ; Benth. Fl. Aiostr. vi. 189. Plant, creeping at the base, with 

 ascending or erect stems of Bin. to 1ft., a few of the lower leaves sometimes small 

 and orbicular, but those of the flowering stems always ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 

 obtuse or almost acute, coarsely crenate-toothed, 1 to l|in. long. Male peduncles 

 short, bearing 2 to 4 flowers, all sessile in a whorl so as to resemble a single- 

 flower, the perianth green and hirsute. Female flowers in dense sessile clusters, 

 oft«n numerous, in separate axils or on separate plants from the males, or rarely 

 1 or 2 in the male axils. Fruiting perianth | to f line long. — Urtica Tasmanica^ 

 F. V. M. First Gen. Rep. 18 (as to the Victorian plant). 



Hab : Given rs a Queensland by F v. M. 



