52 
SOUTH AFRICAN SPECIES OF 
Bulliarda Vaillantii, DC. in Bull. Soc. Phil. n. 49, I (1803), PI. gr. 
t. 74, Prodr. 382; A. Rich. FI. Abyss.; Don, Gen. Syst. ill, 99; 
Ecklon et Zeyher, Enum. no. 1848, 289 ; Harvey in Harvey and Sonder, 
FI. Cap. II, 329. 
Tillaeastrum viride , Rose, in Bull. N. York garden, HI, 2. 
Sedum minimum, etc. Vaill., Paris, 181, t. 10, fig. 2 (ex DC.). 
Annua erecta vel rarius decumbens glaberrima dichotome ramosa. 
Caulis ramique teretes laxe fbliosi. Folia opposita sessilia basi connata 
linearia vel subulata obtusa vel subacuta intus planiuscula patentia 
quam internodia breviora. Flores e dichotomis solitarii pedicellati, 
pedicellis erectis tenuibus foliis subaequilongibus vel longioribus, tetra- 
meri interdum pentameri vel trimeri. Calyx semiquadrifidus laciniis 
erectis ovatis obtusis carnosis persistentibus quam petala 1 /3 vel dimidio 
brevioribus. Petala patentia ovata obtusiuscula carnea. Stamina 
petalis subaequilonga filamentis subulatis antheris fiavis late ovatis. 
Ovaria subtrigona 2 — 12-ovulata. Stili brevissimi filiformes. Squamae 
lineares apice leviter dilatatae. 
This species, which grows in water or on mud, is 3 — 10 cm. high. 
The length of theleaves varies between 
1 and 4 mm. The petals are about 
15 mm. long. The number of ovules 
in each carpel varies considerably. 
Sometimes there are only two, but 
mostly 10 — 12. I have only seen 
tetramerous flowers. However, De Candolle in PI. Grasses, t. 74, 
states that pentamerous and even trimerous flowers occur. In spite 
of its wide distribution this species is usually easily recognised, though 
in South Africa it has been sometimes confused with Crcissula natans, 
Thunb. ( Helophytum natans, E. et Z.) from which, even in the dry 
state, it can easily be distinguished by its longer calyx-lobes. 
General distribution : South Africa, Kilimandjaro, Abyssinia. Medi- 
terranean region (especially the western portion, but it also occurs in 
the Cyrenaica and according to Holmboe in Cyprus), Portugal, France, 
on one of the Austrian islands of the Danube, United States and 
Mexico. 
In all the countries mentioned the species seems to be very local. Its 
somewhat erratic general distribution is to a certain extent parallelled 
by its distribution in South Africa where, although it is found from 
near sea-level up to an altitude of 8500 ft and in all regions where 
suitable conditions for its growth are met with, yet it seems to be 
here also always rather patchy in its distribution. 
Pools by Maitland station, Wolley Dod, 3065 ; Darling, Schlechter, 
