216 PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO [Sclerantkea. 
On subalpine meadows through most ramifications of the Australian Alps ; extends to the Tasmanian 
island. 
A perennial herb, from a few to many inches long. Root woody, emitting numerous flexuose often 
fastigiate-branched stems. Branches cylindrical or seinicylindrical or somewhat compressed, glabrous or 
very finely downy. Leaves 2-6 lines long, towards the base along the edges somewhat scabrous and cilio- 
lated; the floral leaves sometimes very small. Vagina very short. Clusters of few or several flowers at 
the summit of the branches or in the axils of the upper leaves. Bracteoles §-l fine long, lanceolate, half- 
membranous, quite glabrous, connate at the base, persistent. Flowers sessile or on very short pedicels, 
glabrous, 5- rarely 4-cleft, 1-1J line long; the tube broad-obconical, indistinctly ribbed; the lobes lanceolate- 
or deltoid-ovate, towards the margin pale-membranous, erect or somewhat spreading in age. Filaments 
linear-setaceous, hardly or little longer than the anthers. The latter roundish-cordate, yellow, about i line 
long; the ellipsoid cells bursting with marginal dehiscence. Pollen-grains almost globular, smooth. Stami- 
nodia not distinctly developed in those specimens subjected here to examination, scale-like according to B. 
Brown, filamentous according to Jos. Hooker. Styles free, capillary, reaching to near the summit of the 
calyx, inward stigmatose. Utricular caryopsis nearly globose, cylindrical-rostrate, membranous. Seed pale- 
yellow, hardly | line long, smooth, almost spherical, slightly pointed. Albumen rather copious, amylaceous. 
Embryo imperfectly annular. 
By some intermediate forms from the upper granitic valley of the Snowy River this species seems to 
pass into a desert plant, which extends along the Murray to the Wimmera and Lake Alexandrina. This desert 
variety bears flowers already in the first year of growth, thus assuming the appearance of an annual plant; 
its flowers are usually more distinctly pedicellate and occasionally scattered; the tube of the calyx is generally 
campanulate; the lobes of the latter are often remarkably narrow, subulate-semilanceolate and thus but 
slightly membranous at the margin, but considerably longer than the tube and singularly divergent; the 
styles are shorter than in the alpine variety; the seed is almost pear-shaped, fiilvid, with infraterminal hilum. 
This desert variety may in some points be compared to the British Scleranthus annuus. 
Scleranthus pungens, JR. Br . Prod. Flor . Nov. Noll. 412. 
Ascending; leaves trigonous- or linear-subulate, mucronulate; Jlowers in sessile clusters; calyx deeply 
Jive-cleft; the lobes membranous , spreading, orbicular- or lanceolate-ovate, usually acuminate, contracted at 
the base; stamens 5, as long as the calyx or lo?iger; stammodia 5, linear-setaceous. 
On barren ridges and plains of the north-westeni desert. Extending through part of the Murray scrub 
of South Australia; found also on the desert near Spencer’s Gulf and the Flinders Ranges. 
A seemingly perennial plant. Stems laxly tufted, flexuose, of several inches length, branched, smooth or 
slightly scabrous, terete or upwards semicylindrical, occasionally emitting rootlets from the nodes. Leaves 
united at the base into a very short vagina, smooth or at the edges partially scabrous, by innovation often 
fasciculate, 8-8 lines long, somewdiat broader than in any other species, with stems and branches yellowish- 
pallescent in age. Flowers several or many, sessile, forming terminal and towards the summit axillary 
clusters, surrounded by leaves. Bracteoles lanceolate- or linear-cymbiform, about 1 line long. Lobes of the 
calyx 1-11 line long, with exception of the often faint dorsal line quite membranous, during anthesis much 
longer than the tube. Staminodia shorter than the stamens and alternate with them, occasionally very short. 
Fertile stamens opposite to the sepals, linear-setaceous, glabrous, sometimes stretching considerably beyond 
the calyx. Anthers cordate- or ovate-round, about \ line long, consisting of two parallel ellipsoid cells, which 
burst with marginal dehiscence. Ovary short-stipitate, glabrous, upwards gradually contracted. Styles 2, 
about J line long*, capillary, longitudinally stigmatose. Fruit as yet unknown. 
The European Scleranthus perennis shows filaments nearly as long as the calyx, and thus far approaches 
nearest to the short-filamentose state of S. pungens, from which, however, the narrow leaves, cymose inflo¬ 
rescence, small flowers and semipetaloid lobes of the calyx render it already very distinct. 
