l i foot long, loosely dichotomonslybmncliea, Sacdd, sHning, püose with flaccid white hairs, which ai-e more or less
eyidently disposed in opposite rows, wliidi alternate on the successive internodes. Leaves ovate-lanccolate, acuminate,
more or less petioled, i - l i inch long, ciliated at the base, when dry covered with minute wlntc points. Pedicels
horizontal, more or less deflexed in ñ iiit, 1 - 3 inches long, sobtai-y, axillary, one-flowered. Sepals ovate-lanceolate,
acuminate. P eta ls white, bipartite (sometimes absent in European individuals). Cafsales very variable iu size.—'
This plant has been used as a pot-berb in England, and is the common Chiekweed, a favourite food o f birds. I t is
distributed over tbe whole globe, rapidly following man, and though undoubtedly wild in Tasmania, I wonder tbat
the introduced state has not heen sent home ; the latter generally becomes, through cultivation, shorter, more püose,
with much larger, broader leaves, and comparatively smaUer flowers.
3 . Ste lla r ia glauca (W ith . B o t. Arraug. i. 4 2 0 ) ; gracilis, debilis, caule glaberrimo, foliis remotis
lineari-subulato-lanceolatis glaberrimis v. margine incrassato m inutissim e scaberidis, pedicellis soKtariis
axillaribus fobis m ultotie s longioribus, petalis bipartitis sepala ovato-lanceolata acuminata glabra S-nervia
æquantibus v . superantibus.— B o t. t. 8 2 6 ; B C . P ro d r . i. 3 9 7 . S. palustris, B e tz . B r o ir . ed. 2 . n.
5 4 8 . S. g iam bica, va r. glauca, L in n . Sp. P I . S, angustifoba, E o o l. B a t. -L itm . i. 2 6 0 . {C a n n , 2 3 8 .)
T a r .? /S. c x s p ito s a ; caubbus brevioribus cæspitosis, fobis brevioribus, sepalis ovatis acutis obtusisve.
— S . cæspitosa. H o o t. f i t . L on d . Journ. B o t. ii. 4 1 1 . {Cunn . 6 5 2 , 6 5 2 ?)
H a b . Formosa, in marshes, L awrence, Onnn.— Nx r. 0 . Marshes, Oatlauds, E p p in g F orest, and Circular
Head, Ounn.— (F i. D e c .)
D i s t r i b . N ew Sou th W a le s, temperate and colder Europe, and North ern A s ia ; probably also in N o r th
America, th o u g h under sligh tly different forms, and with, consequently, different names,
Mr. Gunn’s specimens appear to be absolutely identical with Engbsh ones ; the leaves ai-e however narrower
than in some Engbsh and continental forms o f the species. In the description o f S. mipustifolia, the leaves are
described as semdate in the original specimens, a character I do not find to be constant nor apparent in specimens
sent since by Gnnn ; there are however sometimes a very tew scabernlons points on tbeir thickened margins, and I
find the same in British specimens o f S. gUnca. The flowers vary extremely in size in the British plant, from f - f
inch, and in the relative size ot sepals and petals.— fflenis slender, 6 inches to 1 toot long, glabrous, shining, with
scattered pairs o f subulate-lanceolate leaves 1 - l i inch long, lio tv e rs | - i inch across, on long, slender, spreading
pedicels. Sepals five, ovate-lanceolate; acuminate, with three nerves, and while, glabrons, scaiious margins. PetaU
generally longer than the sepals.
The var. 0 I have referred here with some hesitation. There are no Enropean or North Asiatic specimens of
S. glauca like it in Herb. Hook., but it precisely accords with some states o f S. longipes, Goldie, which is probably
a North American form o f S. glauca. S. longipes is described (Torrey and Gray, El. N . Am. i. 184) as extremely
variable, and very abundant in an immense number o f localities and over a wide range of country. Some o f these
varieties have blunt, and others acute sepala ; some short stems, and others long. I f we are to consider the typical
state to be that fii'st described as S. longipes, it is remarkable for its long peduncles and short stems; but these characters
are only applicable to tbat one state, which is certainly not the usual one, ü the extensive suite ot specimens
from many localities in the Hookerian Herbarium can be considered as affording any evidence o f the common form
o f the species.
4 . SteUaria pungens (Brongn. in Duperrey, V o y . Bot. t. 78) ; cæspitosa, suberecta v. decumbens,
ramis elongatis angulatis tenuiter alatis scaberulis pilosis tomentosisve, foliis squarrosis patcnti-recurvis late
subulatis acuminato-pungentibus glaberrimis nitidis, pedunculis 1-floris terminalibus lateralibusque brevibus
elongatisque sepalis lanceolato-subulatis p ungentibus multicostatis, petalis profunde bifidis sepalis
æquilongis, sty lis capillaribus. — B o t. Journ. ii. 4 1 1 . S. squarrosa, lloo/c. in B o t. Journ. i 2 5 0
{Gunn, 96.)
H a b . Common in rich and poor, moist and dry soils.— (El. N o v .) {v. v.)
D istkib. N ew South Wale s and South-eastern Australia.
A very different species from any o f the above, extremely variable in size and habit, from a smaU, tufted, depressed
plant, with stems and branches ^ -2 inches long, to a lax, subscandent, robust herb, with stems 3 and even
5 feet high, scrambling amongst bushes, etc.— Stems four-angled, almost winged, glabrous, scabrid, pilose or tomeo-
tose. Leaves i - | - inch long, subulate, lanceolate, patent-recurved, acuminate, pungent, generally glossy. Flowers
sessile amongst the leaves, on short or long, stout, erect, smooth or hairy pedicels, i - 4 inch in diameter. Sepals
subulate-lanceolate, pungent, grooved, as long as or longer than tbe deeply bifid white petals.
Gen. IV . C O L O B A N T H U S , Fenzl.
S epala 4 - 5 , herbácea. F e ta la 0 . S tam in a 4 - 5 , disco pe rigyno inserta. S t y l i 4 - 5 . Capsula 4 - 5 -
valvis, polysperma.— Herbæ coespitosæ; fobis p le risq u e su b u la tis ; floribus inconspiouis, v in d ib u s .
Tufted -Antarctic, American, New Zealand, and Tasmanian herbs, o f which few species are known.— Leaves generally
subulate, densely crowded. Flowers teiminal, sessüe or peduncled, gi-een. Sepals four or five, erect, herbaceous.
P etals none. Stamens four or five, inserted in a perigynous disc. Ovary one-celled, with many basal
ovules, and four or five styles. Capsule with four or five valves and numerous seeds. (Named from <oXo/3ou, to
mutilate, and avôos, a flower ; in allusion to the want of petals.)
1 . Colobanthus Biilardieri (Eenzl, Ann. V ienn. Mus. i. 4 8 ) ; acaulis, cæspitosus, foliis gramineis
r igidis curvis setaceo-elongatis trigonis superne canaliculatis basi late vaginatis, pedunculis e longatis foliis
longioribus abbreviatisve, floribus 5-meris, sepalis capsulam superantibus.— D7. A n t. i. 1 4 ; FI. N . Zeal. i.
2 7 . Spergula apétala, Lah. FI. N . H o ll. i. t. 1 8 2 ; B C . F ro d r. i. 3 9 5 . {Gunn, 9 6 6 , 9 6 6 ? )
Hab. Nor th e rn and central parts o f th e Islan d ; Circular Head, W oolnorth, Arthur’s Lakes, etc ., on
sandy soil, Gunn.— (El. N o v .)
D i s t b i b . N ew Zealand and Campbell’s Island.
A smaU, densely tufted, grassy-leaved plant.— scarcely any, or very short. Leaves springing from the root,
rigid, curved, f - 1 ^ inch long, triquetrous, subiüate, broadly slreathing at the base. Peduncles solitary, erect, variable
in length, thickened below tbe flower, which is erect, l | - 2 lines long. Sepals ovate-subulate, acuminate,
erect, coriaceous, gi-een, much longer than the five-valved capsule.
2. Colobanthus affinis (H o ok . fil. Journ. B o t. ii. 4 1 0 ) ; omnia C. B iila r d ie r i, sed sepalis acuminatis
capsula multo brevioribus.— Hook. Ic . P I . t. 2 6 6 . {Gunn, 9 6 7 .)
Hab. Alp in e districts : Hampshire H ills and Eranklin Eiver, Gunn.— (El. Jan. Eeb.)
Very simüar to the preceding, of which it is possibly a variety, but the leaves are longer aud more flexuose,
the flowers smaller, and the sepals much shorter than the ripe capsule.
N a t . O r d . X I I I . L IN EÆ .
The L in e a , almost all included iu th e g en u s L in um , abound iu the north temperate zone. P lanchón
has discussed the affinities o f tlie L in e a at len g th , and thrown much lig h t upon them by the examination of
some new and curious tropical genera o f th e Order ; through th ese h e allies them to E ry th ro x y lea , Turneraceoe,
S auvagesiea, Frankeniac ea, Fassijlo rea , H um iria c ea , Hypericineoe, aud Ternstrcemiacea, e tc., as w e ll as to
Elatinece, w ith which they have more obvious affinities; iu fact, many o f th ese supposed affinities m u st be
regarded as founded ou analogy, and, th ou gh n o t all to be rejected, I am inc lined to agree with A sa Gray,
who says (Gen. PL N . Am. ii. 1 0 5 ) “ that on the whole, the lig h t thrown by Planchón on the affinities
o f the Order does n o t invalidate D e Candolle’s remarks, th a t th e Order is about equally allied to Caryo-
ph y lleæ , E la tin e a , M a lv a c e a , and Geraniaceæ (or O xalideæ)!’
VOL. I .