46 
PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO 
[Crucifera. 
remotely tootlied or rather copiously serrated from considerably above the base, except the upper ones; the 
basal part nariw-cuneate or linear, constituting a winged stalk, which in large specimens is occasionally 
fully J inch broad, whilst a true petiole of 1 line or less length is formed below the acute or blunt generally 
short occasionally suppressed auricular appendages. Young leaves frequently fasciculate. Racemes terminal 
and lateral, many-flowered, 1J-8 inches long, occasionally yet shorter and then contracted into a dense 
corymb, not rarely several consociated into a sort of panicle. Pedicels depressed, very thin, linear-filiform, 
when flower-bearing about 1 line long and very crowded, when fruit-bearing 1J-2 lines long, spreading, 
even quite horizontal. Sepals erect, oblong or oval, about j line long, with often sordidly purple back and 
with white margin. Petals in all specimens examined none, although according to European botanists 
occasionally developed. Staminodia not very rarely obvious, extremely minute, setaceous-linear, white, 
aside of the fertile stamens. Stamens in all the Australian specimens examined two, opposite to the replum, 
rarely, according to observations in Europe, four. Filaments white, setaceous, hardly longer than the petals. 
Anthers yellow, very small, didymous-round. Silicle spreading, about 1 rarely in L. ambiguum 2 lines 
long; the short terminal lobes protruding distinctly beyond the stigma. Back of valves acute. Septum 
narrow- or linear-lanceolate. Funicles short, terminal. Seeds placed with their edge to the septum, little 
more than J line long, pale brown or almost rufous, -ellipsoid or ovate-ellipsoid, somewhat compressed, 
exuding rather sparingly a hyaline mucus. 
Produces flowers in the spring and summer. 
Neither the Lepidium Novae Hollandiae (Desv. Journ. iii. 1??), nor the L. piscidium (Forst. Prodr. 249) 
seems, according to Candolle’s description, to differ essentially from^L. ruderale; and L. puberulum (Bunge, 
in Lehmann, Plant. Preiss. i. 261) seems also referable to the same. The Lepidium foliosum (Desv. Journ. 
iii. 164), with which most probably the L. cuneifolium (Cand. Syst. ii. 545; J. Hook. Flor. Tasm. i. 25) 
concurs, is chiefly from L. ruderale to be discriminated in the normally petaliferous flowers with 6 tetrady- 
namous stamens and in the double size of the silicle. Our herbarium contains this species from South Port 
of Tasmania and from Kangaroo Island, and most probably it will also be found yet in the litoral part of 
the Colony of Victoria. 
Xaepidium papillosum, F. M. in Linncea , 1852, 370. 
Annual; stems densely covered with minute 'papilla ; leaves nearly glabrous, sagittate- or hastate- 
oblong or lanceolate or cuneate, sessile, with acute remote teeth; flowers apetalous , tetrandrous , very minute ; 
pedicels flat, rather stout, not much shorter than the broad ovate-obcordate to one-fourth of its length bilobed 
silicle; stigma sessile; valves very compressed, bluntly winged at the apex; seeds subovate; moistened testa, 
very gelatinous; cotyledons undivided. 
In the Murray Desert on several localities gregarious, for instance, at Benanee. Also beyond Victoria 
in great number on the barren hills and plains near Crystal Brook, on the Rocky River and N.W. of 
Spencer’s Gulf. 
An herb of unpleasant scent, |-li foot high, frequently overcast with a purple hue. Root pale, sending 
out lateral fibrillce. Stems erect or ascendent, as well as the branches and surface of pedicels copiously 
covered with minute spreading' almost club-shaped white papilla?. Radical leaves fast decaying; stem-leaves 
generally from \-2 inches long, 1-5 lines broad, sometimes scantily papillose-scabrous at the margin, acute. 
Racemes terminating the branches, or on short peduncles lateral, rather densely many-flowered, 1-4 inches 
long. Pedicels measuring in length 1-1 i line, depressed-linear, spreading but not horizontal. Two sepals 
roundish, two oblong-oval. Stamens exceedingly small. Filaments capillary. Anthers yellow, roundish. 
Silicles 2-2 h lines long, with a narrow terminal sinus. Septum linear-lanceolate. Funicles short, subulate. 
Seeds about § line long, compressed, ovate, brown. Gelatine of moistened testa limpid. Cotyledons truly 
incumbent, semi-cylindrical, of equal height with the radicle. 
In flower during the latter part of the rainy season. 
