FLORA VITIENSIS. 113 
phroditi, Calycis tubus subcompressus, limbus obsoletus. Petala 5, ovato-triangularia, 1-nervia, 
libera, zstivatione valvata. Stamina 5; anthers ovate; pollinis granula plano-convexa. Ovarium 
2-loculare, loculis 1-ovulatis. Drupa a latere plano-compressa, 2-pyrena, pyrenis evittatis, Carpo- 
phorum nullum. Semen carinato-compressum. Albumen equabile.—Herbe perennes repentes v. 
suffrutices erecti, foliis stipulatis simplicibus integris v. varie divisis, floribus in umbellis capitatis 
Vv. spicis axillaribus dispositis, albidis, viridinsculis vy. purpureo-maculatis, drupis viridiusculis pur- 
pureis vy. maculatis.—Seem. in Journ. of Bot. 1863, p. 278. Trisanthus, Lour. Fl. Coch. p. 219, 
Though the genus Hydrocotyle must have passed through the hands of innumerable botanists, its true 
ya ee. f 4 J P ATOUs wu : 
position in the Natural System was not suspected until pointed out by me in the ‘ Journal of Botany,’ 
1863, p. 278. Every one regarded it as a genuine Umbellifera, and yet) how different is its look to all the 
most typical members of that order or suborder. Its fruit is didymous, it is true, but the two carpels 
do not separate, and there is no distinct carpophorum except in several annual Australian species, which 
have been erroneously referred to this genus, such as H. tripartita, R. Brown; verticillata, Turez.: pili- 
Sera, Turez. ; medicaginoides, Vurez.; diantha, F. Mill. ; eapillaris, F. Miill.; lobocarpa, F. Miill., ete.,—all 
belonging to Dimetopia and other genera not yet worked out. In tropical Polynesia only three genuine 
Hydrocotyles haye as yet turned up; the widely-diffused and rather variable H. Asiatica; in the Samoan 
Islands the allied A. lewcocephala, Cham, et Schlecht., according to A. Gray,—a species [ have not seen from 
any but Brazilian stations; and in the Sandwich Islands H. verticillata, Thunb. (nterrupta, Miuhl.), The 
latter will probably be found in other Polynesian groups, as it is one of the most widely-diffused species ; 
we know it from the Cape of Good Hope (Wallich! Roberts! Lind!), Virginia (Mitchell '), Carolina 
(Beyrich!), Massachusetts (Greene !), California (Chamisso), Jamaica (Wright! Swartz !), and Gipps Land, 
Australia (F. Miiller!). I hold H. pleiantha, of Cesati (Linnea, vol. xi. p. 315), from Tuscany, identical 
with H, verticiliata, as far as such an opinion can be of value, judging from the description only. If 
it should be confirmed, H, verticillata, Thunb., would range over Polynesia and all the continents exeept 
Asia. It is very near the much more local H, vulgaris, but I have never seen any transition, it being 
easily distinguished by its 11-nerved leaves, entirely glabrous petioles, and uniformly purplish fruit (not 
maculate or at the base emarginate). 
1, H. Asiatica, Linn. Spec. p. 234; Rich. Hydr. n. 1. f. 1 ; Wight, Icon. vol. ii. t. 560 ; 
glabra v. villosa; caule repente ; foliis orbiculato- v. cordato-reniformibus crenatis v. erenato-dentatis 
7-9-nerviis; umbellis capitatis paucifloris; involucro 2—5-phyllo ; fructn orbiculari 4-costato.—I, 
repanda, Pers. Ench, vol. i. p. 802; Rich. Hydr, n. 13. f. 14. A. CTE Lam. Dict. vol, iil, p. 
153; Rich. Hydr. n. 12. f. 12. HH. abbreviata, Rich. Hydr, n. 17. f. 1. H. lunata, liam. Dict, 
vol, iii. p. 152. H. nummularioides, Rich. Hydr. n. Il. eso nee hebecarpa, a es ie ly. p. 
63. H. inequipes, DC. Prodr. vol, iv. p. 63. H. palhda, DC. Prodr. vol, Iv. p. 63. 4 brevipes, 
DC. Prodr. vol. iv. p. 63. A. lwrida, Mance in Walp, Ann. vol. ii, p. 690; Seem. Bot. Herald, 
379, H. triflora, Ruiz et Pav. Fl. Per. vol. iii, p. 24. t. 245. £6. H. cordifolia, Wook. Icon. t. 
303, H Bruen Scheidw. in Otto und Dietrich, Gartenz. vol. x. 286; Walp. Rep. vol. n. p. 
; . Y 5 7 oie , iets <8 
383. H. reniformis et cordata, Walt. Fl. Car. p. 118. HZ. reniformis, Bose, Poir. Suppl. vol. iii. 
21 H epanda, Spreng. Umb. n. 4, t. 2. £4, H. sp., e Nov. Caledon, Forst, Prodr, n. 512. 
et Be N e Gen. Amer. vol,i. p.177. Trisanthus Cochinchinensis, Lour. Fl. Cochinch. 
. ; ‘ : . 55. t. 169, f. 1.—Nomen vernac. 
i inus, Rumph. Amb. vol. v. p. 455. t. 
Yi ie eorc pant all over Viti, in open, damp places or cultivated ground, Also 
Vitiense, 2 1 (Barele !) and Samoan Islands (U. 8S. Expl. Exped.), and New Caledonia 
ey ne ae in ee viz. China (Herb. Mus. Brit.) ; Hongkong (Campion! Hance !) ; 
(Forever): Me UE de ar als ing !); Cochinchina (Loureiro!) ; Coromandel coast 
ie weg : EAU oe dara te VIZ eee (Roxburgh !); Abyssinia 
xl h! cenig !); Gey a | 3 x a Lie - Fal. 
eas as > 13) ips (Congo Expedition !) ; West tropical Africa (G. Don!) ; Angola (Wel 
ae anit ae ar '9] 622, 623) ; Cape of Good Hope (Masson ! Wallich! Bunbury !): America, 
witsch! n. 619, 620, G21, O#<, O-9) 5 ; ‘o, Brazil (Gardner! n. 52): Australia, viz. Queens- 
viz. Jamaica (F. Masson !) ; Chili (Bridges!) ; Rio, Brazil (Gardner! n. , 
: i l). 
deavour River (Sir J. Banks ; Bf 
Paes dicinally by the Vitians, but I have not been able to find out for what diseases. 
ih aoa -, in Bonplandia, 1859, p. 139, et Fl. Herb. Ind. vol. 1, pars 1. p, 765. 
Il. Nothopanax, Miq, in bonpla ’ ’ 3 . 

