1276 CIII. POLYGONACE^E. 
3. MUHLENBECKIA, Meissn. 
(In honor of Dr. Muhlenbeck, a botanist of Alsace). 
Flowers mostly dioecious. Perianth of 5 segments, all equal or the outer ones- 
slightly enlarged. Stamens 8 or rarely fewer, filaments short, the anthers oblong 
in the males, small and imperfect or abortive in the females. Ovary in the 
females 3-angled, with a very short trifid style and 3 more or less fringed stigmas,, 
small and rudimentary in the males. Nut triangular or nearly globular, enclosed 
in the persistent membranous or succulent perianth.— Undershrubs shrubs or 
woody twiners, rarely herbaceous from the base ; all at least of the Australian 
species glabrous. Stipules brown and scarious, loosely sheathing, very soon torn 
or ragged. Flowers small, green or whitish, in whorl-like clusters, axillary or 
within small sheathing bracts, in axillary or terminal simple or paniculate 
interrupted spikes. Radicle usually curved towards the back of the cotyledons 
(incumbent), rarely here and there towards their edge (accumbent). 
The genus extends to New Zealand, extratropical S. America, and along the Andes to 
Mexico. 
Leaves more or less cordate hastate or sagittate, usually broad and 
above 1 i n. long. Stem prostrate or climbing. 
Fruit globular, obscurely angled, not rugose, with the perianth succu- 
lent. Spikes mostly axillary. Leaves thin, with a long point. 
Spikes very slender. Flowers small 1 . M. gracillima. 
Fruit ovoid, more or less 3-angled, very rugose. Leaves rather 
thick. Spikes mostly in a large terminal panicle 2. M. rhyticarya. 
Shrub. Leaves on luxuriant branches linear, on the others very small 
or none. Clusters mostly in terminal spikes. Fruit prominently 
3-angled 3 .31. Cunninghamii. 
1. 1VE. gracillima (very slender), Meissn. in DC. Prod. xiv. 145 ; Benth. 
FI. Austr. v. 274. A tall herbaceous twiner, much more slender than 
M. rhyticarya. Leaves on long petioles, ovate-cordate or broadly sagittate. 
acuminate, membranous, the margins usual crisped, 1 to 2 or rarely 3in. long. 
Spikes very slender, almost filiform, simple or paniculately branched, the males 
much longer and more branched than the females, the flower-clusters small and 
distant. Perianth not above 1 line diameter when fully spread. Stigmas large 
and copiously fringed. Fruiting perianth globular and succulent, enclosing an 
opaque obscurely 3-angled nut . — Pohjyonum adpressum, R. Br. Prod. 420 (partly). 
Hah.: Moreton Bay, Leichhardt ; Rockhampton, 0‘Shanesy ; Dawson and Burnett Rivers, 
F. v. Mueller, to Stanthorpe. 
The fungus blight Uredo Rumicis, Schum. with Darluca Jilum, Cast, upon it, is met with on 
this plant. 
2. IVI. rhyticarya (nut wrinkled), F. v. M. Fragm. v. 92 ; Bentli. FI. Austr. 
v. 274. Stems climbing, woody at the base. Leaves mostly broadly ovate-cor- 
date, obtuse or shortly acuminate, 1 to 2in. long, often rather thick and glaucous. 
Spikes long and interrupted in the upper axils, and forming a large loose 
terminal panicle. Fruiting perianth almost membranous enclosing an ovoid- 
triquetrous nut often 2 lines long and deeply rugose. Seed scarcely furrowed. 
Hal-.: Cape York, Darnel; Port Denison, Fitzalan ; Edgecombe and Rockingham Bays, 
Dallachy, and again near Stanthorpe. 
3. IVI. Cunninghamii (after A. Cunningham), F. v. M. Fragm. v. 91 ; 
Benth. FI. Austr. v. 276. Lignum. A shrub, sometimes low and bushy, some- 
times attaining 6 to 8ft. or even taller, with numerous terete sulcate or angular 
branches, the young and luxuriant ones often with a few linear or linear-lanceolate 
leaves of 1 to 3in. contracted into a rather long petiole, but most of the branches 
rigid or rushlike often clustered and either quite leafless or with a few linear leaves. 
Stipules deciduous. Flower-clusters solitary or in short spikes at the leafless 
nodes or in the axils of the small leaves forming long terminal interrupted spikes. 
