Polygalea ?.] 
THE COLONY OE VICTORIA. 
185 
A slightly bitter herb of the aspect of a Veronica. Rhizome in age somewhat woody. Stems several 
or many from the rhizome, generally less than a span long, simple or from near the base branched. Leaves 
copious, from 3-10 lines long, usually acute, slightly rigid, almost opaque above, paler and somewhat shining 
beneath, with a strong midnerve and ascendent lateral nerves. Inflorescence axillary and terminal. Pedicels 
1-2 lines long*. Middle bracteole about § line long*, lanceolate- or ovate-cymbiform, outside somewhat 
downy; lateral ones more or less oval- or narrow-lanceolate, about half as long. Outer sepals 1-1J line 
long, lanceolate- or linear-cymbiform, somewhat patent, slightly downy or almost glabrous; inner sepals 
smooth, slightly unguiculate, pale at the margin, otherwise almost green, broad-ovate, 2-3 lines long, 
traversed by a midnerve and copious veins. Anterior petal almost obcordate-dilated, lilac-colored especially 
towards the summit; its crista consisting* of two main partitions, about 1 line long*, formed by numerous 
fringes. Posterior petals oblique, spathulate-oblong*, somewhat shorter than the carina. Filamer ts only free 
at the summit, sometimes 9. Anthers truncate-ellipsoid, about | line long. Pollen-gTains spherical, smooth. 
Style about 1J line long, clavate-linear, slightly ascendent, a sessile gland below and a stipitate gland above 
forming the stig*matic apparatus at the apex. Capsule measuring 2-3 lines, slightly turgid, finely veined, 
surrounded by a wing, which tapers at the base, measures J line in breadth upwards, and is cleft at the 
summit. Seeds rather more than 1 line long, finely pubescent. Strophiole cleft deeply into three narrow 
livid or fulvous lobes. Testa crust-like, black-brown. Albumen scanty. Embryo yellowish, about f line 
long. Cotyledons nearly orbicular, almost flat, about five times as long as the superior radicle: 
In all probability our Polygala is identical with P. Japonica, which indeed is enumerated by Dr. Hooker 
(Flor. Tasm. introd. p. 42) as an Indo-Australian species, it being here moreover often consociated with Salvia 
plebeja and other East Asiatic plants. 
COMESPERMA. 
Ldbill . Nov. Soil . Plant . Specim . ii. 21, t. 159-163. 
Sepals 4-5, deciduous ; the outer 2 or 3 small; the two inner sepals larger, petaloid. Petals 3, 
rarely 5, connate with the staminal tube ; the anterior one large, concave, galeate, 3- or 1-lobed, not 
crested ; lateral petals very minute, often wanting; posterior two oblong or lanceolate. Stamens 8, 
almost equal, ascendent. Tube of filaments slit in front; their summit free. Anthers hasifixed, one- 
celled, opening by a terminal aperture. Ovary two-celled, compressed. Ovules solitary, pendent from 
near the apex of the narrow dissepiment. Style curved, compressed, skort-bilobed at the apex. Stigma 
terminal. Capsule compressed, two-celled, opening with marginal dehiscence, usually contracted into 
a stipes. Seeds usually invested with long descending silky hair , with or without a strophiole. 
Perennial-herbaceous, suffruticose or frutescent plants, rather frequent in extratropieal Australia, 
rare in tropical Australia, not found elsewhere. Branches straight or climbing, rarely spinescent. 
Leaves alternate, never very large, sometimes but scantily developed or very minute and bract-like. 
Flowers racemose, less frequently solitary, blue or red or yellow, seldom white. Capsule membranous 
or coriaceous, at the summit truncate or emarginate. Seeds frequently downy.— Endl . Gen. 1078; 
Steetz , in Lehm. Plant. Preiss. ii 292-294. 
Besides the indument of the seed no character is manifest by which this genus could be separated 
from certain sections of Polygala. Additional somewhat aberrant species obliterate also almost the 
generic distinctions of Catacoma, except the habitual diversity. In two species of Comesperma the 
seed-hair are developed solely along the margin of the seed, in some other only near the apex. The 
strophiole whenever formed extends in a narrow line to the chalaza, where it is expanded into a mem¬ 
branous plate of varied form and size. In this regard Catacoma seems not to offer sufficient marks of 
distinction from Comesperma. 
2 A 
