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Gen. I I . MONTLV, L .
Sepala 2 -3 . Pe ta la 5, libera v. basi coalita, membranácea. Stamina 5, petalis opposita et basi in serta.
Omnwwi 1-locnlare; stylo recto, 3-fido. Capsula i i t i n Cla y tmia . Semina 1 - 3 .
A small, succulent, subereet or creeping, marsli or water-plant, forming pale gi-een tufts, with narrow, opposite
leaves, and small, axiUaiy, pedicellate, white flowers. Sepals two, rarely three. Petals flve, slightly united at the
base, or free. Stamens three to five, inserted into the base of the petals. Omry sessile, ovate, with a short three-
cleft style. CapsuU one-ceUed, three-valved, one- to three-seeded.—The only plant of this genus is very abundant
in all temperate aud cold parts of the world, from the Arctic Circle to Cape Horn, Kerguelen’s Land, Tasmania,
Lord Auckland’s Group, and Campbell’s Island. I t has no character of importance to distinguish it from Clay-
tonia, than which it is a very much smaller plant. (Name in honour of Joseph de Monti, a Bolognese professor
and botanist.)
1. Montia fo n ta n a , L. BC. Prodr. F l. Antarct.
H a b . Alpine parts of tb e N o rth e rn Islan d , Colenso, Sinclair, etc. Common in th e Middle and
Sou th ern Islan d s, Raoul, L ya ll.
Extremely variable iu size. Stems much branched, a few lines to 5 inches long, laxer and longer in water,
tender, succulent. Leaves 3 Hnes to -f- inch long; narrow, linear or spathulate, blunt or sharp. Peduncles shorter
than the leaves, curved and pendulous when in fruit. Flowers about a Hue broad across the petals.
J t
N a t , O k d . XXXI. SCLERANTHEÆ, Z i n i .
Gen. I . SC L E EA K TH U S , Í .
Calyx tubulosus, 4 -5 -fid u s, coriaceus, p ersisten s; tubo urceolato, lobis erectis. P e ta la 0.
1 -5 , fauce calycis inserta. S ty li 2. Capsula evalvis, 1-sperma. Semen funiculo capillaceo e fundo locuU
orto suspensum.
Small, rigid, tufted plants, of a harsh wiry habit, with opposite, subulate, serrulate, or entire leaves, and inconspicuous
green flowers, placed in the New Zealand species in pairs on a short peduncle, that elongates when iu fruit,
and bears four persistent bracteæ at the top. Calyx a small, coriaceous, four- to five-lobed tube, witb one stamen
inserted half-way up, and no petals. Ovary with two styles, and one ovule, suspended from a long cord that rises
from the base of tbe cell.—This genus is found in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. (Name from
a.Xripos, hard, and av6os,J!otver ; from the indurated perianth.)
1. Scleranthus UJiorus (Mniarum, A u c t.); dense cæspitosus, floribus geminis quadrifidis monandris
pedúnculo communi per paria sessilibus basi 2-bracteolatis, foliis serrulatis v. integerrimis. Mniarum,
Forster. Broten. DC. Prodr. A. R ich . F l. Nov. Zeal. A . Ounn. Prodr. M. pcdunculatum, L a i. Fl.
Nov. B o ll. V. \ . p . 8. t. 2. Ditoca muscosa. Ba n k s et Solander, et Goertner.
H a b . N o rth e rn an d Middle Is la n d s ; chiefly on th e east co a st; n o t uncommon. N a t. names.
N o rth e rn Islan d , “ Kohu -Ko h n ,” R . Gunn.; Middle Islan d , “ Naéréoré,” D ’ Urville.
S tem seldom more than an inch long, densely leafy, growing in compact tufts. Leaves 4 -4 inch long, rigid
and wiry. Flowers at first sessile amongst the leaves ; the peduncles are afterwards elongated to \ inch, and are
stout aud erect.—I see no grounds upon which.to separate this genus from Scleranthus, to two Tasmanian species ol
which the present is very closely aUied. The leaves vary much in New Zealand and Tasmanian specimens of this
species, both in length and in the degree of serrulation of their margins.
M
N at. O r d . XXXII. CRASSULACEÆ, DC.
Gen. I . T IL LÆ A j Mich. [incUding Builiarda, BC.)
, et stamina 3 - 5 . Squamoe ad basin carpeUormn 3 - 5 v. 0. Ovaria 3 - 5 ; stylis b re vibus
recurvis ; ovulis plurimis. Carpella 3-5^ membranácea, in tu s dehiscentia. Semina pauca v. plurima.
Very small, succulent plants, with opposite leaves, and axillary, solitary, or fasciculate flowers. SepaU, petah, and
stamens three to five. Scales as many, opposite the ovaries, or 0. Ovaries with short recurved styles, one-celled,
many-ovuled. Carpels few- or many-seeded.—The few species belonging to this inconspicuous geuus are inhabitants
of damp or diy places, and are scattered over various parts of the globe, chiefly in temperate latitudes. One of the
Southern species belongs to Bulliarda of DC., a genus differing only in the more highly-developed glands or scales
opposite the ovaries, which I do not think affords of itself a character of generic importance. (Named in honour of
Michael Angelo Tilli, an ItaHan botanist of Pisa.)
1. Tillæa verticillaris, D C .; erecta, simplex v. e basi ramosissima, foliis oppositis lineari-oblongis,
floribus 4)-meris axillis dense congestis sessilibus paucis pedunculatis, sepalis petalisque subulato-acumi-
natiSj glandulis squamisve 0, carpeUis I —2-spermis. BC . Prodr. v. 3. p . 3 8 2 . {non Ilook. Ic. P la n t,
t. 2 9 5 .) A . Ounn. Prodr. T. muscosa, Forst. Prodr, A . R ich . Flora.
H ab . N o rth e rn and Middle Is la n d s ; dry rocky pla ces; ab u n d an t, Forster, Colenso, etc.
Wliole plant a pale red-brown colour. Stems succulent, 2—4 inches high, simple or branched from the base.
Leaves linear-oblong, i - 2 lines long, succident, blunt. Floicers very densely crowded in the axils of the leaves, verj'
minute, mostly sessile, a few pedicellate; pedicels slender, longer than the leaves. SepaU four, ovato-subulate,
acuminate. Ovaries without glands or scales. CarpeU one-seeded.—Very Hke the European T. muscosa, but usually
larger in all its parts, with tetramerous larger flowers, aud narrower sepals. I t is also a Cape of Good Hope plant.
2. TiUæa debilis, Col. ; caule repente laxe cæspitoso distanter foHoso, foliis oppositis connatis brevi-
oblongis linearibusve obtusis, floribus solitariis v. 2 axiUaribus sessilibus pedunculatisve 4-meris, sepalis
oblongis acutis, petalis brevioribus ovatis acuminatis, glandulis 0, carpeUis 1-2 -sp ermis.
H a b . N o rth e rn Island. E a st coast, Colenso.
Stems 2 -3 inches long, weak, slender, simple or sparingly branched. Leaves opposite, in remote pairs, 1 -2 lines
long, connate, ovate-oblong or linear. Flowers few, one to two, sessile or peduncled, very minute. Sepals four,
ovate, acute, longer than the ovate acuminate petals. Glands none. CarpeU fom, one- to two-seeded.—I am
doubtful how far this is really distiuct from T. verticillaj'is, which it closely resembles.
3. UMlaapiirpuTata, Hook. fil. ; perpusiUa, caulibus e basi decumbente ramosa erectis prostratisve, foliis
oppositis connatis linearibus, floribus breve v. longe pediceUatis 4-meris, sepalis ovatis obtusis v. subacutis,
petalis parvis acumiuatis, glandulis 0, carpellis 4 magnis obtusis recurvis apice hiante bilobo, seminibus
plurimis. Nob. in .Lond. Journ. Bo t. v. G .p . 4 7 2 . A n T. peduncularis, Sm., B C . P ro d r .?
I I ab. N o rth e rn Island ; east coast, Cape Palliser, etc., Colenso.
A very minute, purplish plant. Stems prostrate, ^ inch long, rarely longer. Leaves as in the other species.
Flowo's few, in the axils of the leaves, sometimes nearly sessile, but often on pedicels longer than the stem. SepaU
four, blunt. PetaU as many, very short, sharp. Glands none. CarpeU longer than the sepals, blunt, recurved,
many-sceded, the top when burst two-lobed. Seeds many.—A very distinct species, but so minute as to require a
strong lens to make out its characters. I t is a native of Tasmania.
4. Tillæa (Bulliarda) moschata, DC. ; cæspitosa, caule e basi p ro stra ta radicimte erecto parce ramoso
V. simplici, ibUis oppositis connatis carnosis Hneari-oblongis obovatisve obtusis, pedimculis solitariis axilla