Caryopliyllea.] 
THE COLONY OE VICTORIA. 
205 
The order of Caiyophyllese is adopted here in the circumscription recently- 
assigned to it by Mr. G. Bentham. It contains* as far as known* no other native 
Continental-Australian plants* than those enumerated on this occasion, except various 
species of Polycarpaea (conf. E. M. Report on Plants of Babbag. Exped. pp. 8-9)* 
ranging over tropical and subtropical Australia, Several Caryophyjlese have found 
their way from Europe and other parts of the globe into our colony, amongst which 
Agrostemma Githago* Spergula arvensis* Arenaria serpillifolia* Cerastium vulgatum* 
and Silene Gallica are to be counted. It is beyond possibility to ascertain now after 
lengthened colonization of Australia* whether Sagina apetala* S. procumbens* Poly- 
carpon tetraphyllum, Gypsophila tubulosa* Stellaria glauca and Spergularia rubra 
originally belonged to our flora; these therefore are here adopted doubtfully as indi¬ 
genous members. 
P0LYCARP0N. 
Lcejiing * in Linn, Gen . 105.—Allseed. 
Sepals 5, keeled, connivent. Petals 5, minute, entire or bidentate. Stamens 3-5, opposite to 
the sepals. Ovary one-celled, with numerous ovules. Funicles arising from the basal placentse. Style 
three-cleft, exceedingly short. Capsule membranous, trivalved. Seeds several or many, estrophiolate. 
Testa granular. 
Annual or perennial herbs, scattered over the warmer temperate parts of the globe. Leaves 
opposite or spuriously verticillate, scariously stipulate. Bracts and bracteoles scarious. Flowers 
cymose, small. Stamens extremely short. Capsule minute.— Endl. Gen. 960. 
Folycarpon tetraphyllum, Linn. Syst. Veg. edit. xiii. Ill; Mollugo tetraphylla* Linn. Spec. 
Plant, i. 89; Suppl. 116; Engl. Lot. t . 1031. 
Glabrous* annual ; leaves spathulate-obovate* opposite or quaternate; sepals mucronulate; stamens 3. 
In light soil widely dispersed over the Colony of Victoria; noticed also in many parts of New South 
Wales* South Australia* Tasmania and Western Australia; known also from South and North Africa* South 
and Middle Europe and some parts of Asia and North America; perhaps in this and some other parts of the 
globe to be regarded as an introduced species. 
An annual* decumbent or ascendent herb. Root pallid* more or less branched and frbrous. Stems from 
a few inches to a span long*, as well as the patent dichotomous branches almost cylindrical and finely streaked, 
somewhat turgent on the nodes* seldom branchless and singly from the root. Leaves herbaceous* flat* 
opposite in a single or double pair* tapering* into a short or conspicuous petiole* usually between 3 and 6 lines 
long* one-nerved* indistinctly veined* often tinged with a reddish hue* one in each pair alternately somewhat 
larger and smaller. Stipules persistent* lanceolate-subulate* |-1| line long* entire or somewhat laeiniated* 
not rarely concrete into single interpetiolar acuminate-deltoid ones. Cymes terminal* short-pedunculate* 
dichotomously more or less compound* with several or numerous crow r ded flowers. Bracts and bracteoles 
similar to the stipules* opposite at the base of the peduncles and pedicels* persistent. Pedicels usually shorter, 
seldom longer than the calyx* articulated at the base* upwards thickened. Sepals connivent* 1-1 \ line long* 
greenish or reddish except at the pale membranous margin* lanceolate-cymbiform* unequal in length. Petals 
membranous* white* oblong* entire* only from line long. Filaments in all here examined specimens 3* 
opposite to the three larger sepals and to the three fruit-valves* about half as long as the petals. Anthers 
didymous-round* only about § of a line long* consisting of two ellipsoid cells* which burst with longitudinal 
