Molluginece .] 
THE COLONY OF VICTORIA. 
203 
as the flowers or mostly in various degTees shorter, congregated into axillary umbels or fascicles, provided at 
the base with linear-subulate externally and along the margin star-downy bracteoles of 1-2 lines length. 
Sepals 3-5 lines long', more or less acuminate j the two outer ones lanceolate, quite herbaceous and outside 
star-hairy ; the third one unilateral-membranous; the two inner ones more concurved, membranous and 
glabrous on both edges, broader than the outer ones ; all with a distinct midnerve and fainter lateral nerve, 
inside glabrous. Staminodia exterior to the fertile filaments, about tw r o lines long, linear, furcate to near 
the middle, membranous, glabrous, one-nerved; the nerve divided for continuing its course to the summit of 
the two narrow pointed lobes. Filaments linear-setaceous, very tender, membranous, one-nerved, about as 
long as the staminodia. Anthers nearly J line long, yellow, versatile; its cells narrow-ellipsoid, bursting 
extrorse longitudinally. Pollen-grains spherical, smooth. Stigmas 5, about J line long, recurved, clavate- 
spathulate. Capsule sessile, free, glabrous, tender-membranous, 2-3 lines long, many seeded. Septa 4-5, 
breaking from the fruit-axis, permanently connate with the valves. Columella 4-5 angled, subulate, rough 
from the cicatrices of the funicles. Seeds attached in two close rows to the angle of the fruit-axis in each 
cell, attached to a fimicle of about J line length, which is almost entirely enclosed within the strophiole, which 
is somewhat cupular and almost white. Seeds oblique-kidneyshaped, about £ line long, dark-brown, some¬ 
what shining, beautifully seriate-granular, encircled by a free setaceous pallid process, which arises from the 
fimicle at the hilum, and bends irregularly around the back of the seed so as to touch almost the chalaza. 
The latter closely approximated to the hilum. Albumen mealy, scant}", lying near the hilum. Embryo semi- 
annular. Cotyledons almost as long as the radicle. 
A variety with leaves glabrous at the surface is of rare occurrence. 
Glinus orygioides, F. M., brought by Dr. Beckler from the desert-plains east of Grey Range and by 
Mr. Wright from Cooper’s Creek, agrees in size of flowers and leaves, and in its numerous stamens (16-24) 
with G. lotoides; it is however widely distinct in its almost perfect glabrescence (only the nodes and young 
branches being crisp-hairy), in carnulent leaves, in blunt broad- or orbicular-ovate inner sepals, -which in 
consequence of their very broad white margin appear almost petaloid, in larger anther's, in but very few 
linear-subulate not forked staminodia, which are placed amongst the exterior fertile stamens, in 3-4 somewhat 
longer styles, which are stigmatose towards the summit, in a 3- rarely 4-celled fruit, in much less copious 
seeds of larger size arrayed along shorter placentse, in a furrowed and slightly foveolated testa, and in a 
linear-subulate strophiole, the bristly apex of which reaching less than half around the seed. This rare and 
interesting species is of stout habit and may be of perennial growth ; it mediates some-what the transit from 
Glinus to Orygia, inasmuch as it shows but a short bristly process of the strophiole, contrasted with the 
setaceous prolongation, which surrounds almost completely the seed of Glinus lotoides and G. Mollugo. 
Glinus BXollug’o, Fenxl , in Annul. des Wien. Mus. i. 359; Mollugo Spergula, Linn. Spec . Plant. 
i. 131$ M. erecta, Purm. Flor. Indie . p. 31 5 M. verticillata, Poxb. FI. Ind. i. 360 j M. Novo-Hollandica, 
F. M. in Transact. Ph. Soc . Viet. i. 14 ; Pharnaceum Mollug’o, Linn. Mant. p. 651. 
Stems almost unilateral crisp-downy 1 leaves nearly glabrous, obovate- or oblong- or linear-cuneate; 
sepals small, obtuse, nearly glabrous \ staminodia undivided or furcate, often wanting; stamens 3-10; stig¬ 
mas 3 ; capsule three-valved, testa seriate-granular 5 seeds very numerous and exceedingly small \ placentae 
nearly as long as the cell , strophiole oval , much smaller than the seed; setaceous process of the strophiole 
laxly encircling the seed. 
On the sandy periodically inundated banks of the Murray River and its back-waters 5 extending thence 
to tropical Australia, tropical Asia and to various parts of Africa and perhaps of America. 
Root annual, slender. Stems generally prostrate and numerous, from a few inches to about 1 foot 
long, compressed, striolated, alternately or dichotomously branched 5 at the side directed to the ground 
almost glabrous. Leaves with inclusion of the petiole from a few lines to about 1 inch long, of unequal size, 
collected at the nodes in fascicular verticils, slightly carnulent, tapering gradually into the petiole, tow ards 
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