Gen. IV . C A L L IT R IC H E , L .
Flores plerumque monoici, bibracteolati v . ebracteolati. $ C a lyx e t corolla 0 . Stamen 1 . ? Ovarium
4-lobum, 4-loculare. S ty li 2 , filiformes, papillosi. Fru c tu s compressus, iudebiscens, constans carpellis
4 unilocularibus monospermis. Semina pendula, teretiuscula, albuminosa.— Herbæ tenellæ, a q u a ticoe ; foliis
oppositis, in teg e rrim is j floribus suhsessilibiis, a x illa rib u s, inconspicuis.
A genus of water-plants, found in all temperate and many waim latitudes at a sufficient elevation above the
sea-level ; the speeies are extremely variable, growing in water o f various depths, aud sometimes on the siuface of
wet soil in hiunid situations. The Tasmanian speeies is almost a cosmopolitan plant.— Slender, aquatic herbs, w ith
opposite, entire, linear or spathulate leaves, the upper often largest, crowded, and spread out iu a stellate manner
on the surface o f the water, whence the English name “ Star-wort.”— axillaiy, usually monoecious. Males
of a solitaiy stamen, with two caducous bracts at its base, wliich are sometimes absent ; filament longer than in
Halorageæ generally, and anther also different from that typical of the Order, being didymous, with short cells, and
the valves recurved from above, so that the anther appears after dehiscence to be one-ceUed, and to have burst
transversely across the crown. Female fiowers with two bracts or none, consisting o f four flat cai-pels united in
pairs, and two long, subulate, recurved, papUlose styles (or rather stigmata). Fruit, the four caipels rather indurated,
each one-ceUed, one-seeded. Seeds pendulous, with a thin, membranous testa, fleshy albumen, and terete
embrj-o. (Name from kqXoï, beautiful, and 6pi^, a hair ; in allusion to the long, slender stems.)
1 . C a U i t r i c h e v e r n a (L ion . Sp. PI. 2 ) ; foliis 3-nérviis, fl. ? subsessili. — B e Cand. P ro d r . i. 7 0 ;
F l. A n ta r c t. i. 1 1 , ii. 2 7 2 ; F l. N . Z eal. i. 6 4 . C. aquatica. Smith, Engl. B o t. t. 7 2 2 . {Gunn, 1 9 6 0 .)
Var . te r r e s tr is ; caule rigidiore, foliis brevibus. {Gunn, 2 0 2 1 .)
H a b . Common in still, fresh water, margms o f rivers, etc.— Var. In m o ist ground. Circular Head,
Gunn. {v. v.)
D i s t b i b . South-eastern Australia, N ew Zealand, th e Antarctic Islan d s, Europe, Nor th e rn A sia and
America.
Stems slender, herbaceous, green, when floating often a span to 2 feet long ; in var. /9 more rigid, shorter, and
prostrate. Leaves membranous, spathulate, inch long, blunt, tbree-nerved.— In Tasmanian and New Zealand
specimens the male and female fiowers are sometimes collateral in the same axil and on the same pedicel, when the
single stamen appears as if it belonged to the same flower with the single pistil, but the insertion of the filament
is manifestly not hypogjmous, but arising from the very short pedicel of the female flower. The bracts are often
t in this form.
Gen. V . G U N N E R A , X.
(Milligania, l i f . )
Flores bracteolati, 1-sexuale s v . hermaphroditi. Calyc is tubus teres v. angu la tu s; limbus 2 -3 -lo b u s .
Î 0 V. 2 , coriacea, decidua. S tam in a 1 - 2 ; antheris innatis, 2-locularibus, loculis lateraliter dehiscentib
u s. Ovarium 1 -loculare, l - o i ’iila tum ; stigmata 2 , elongata, simplicia (rarius 4 , per paria cohærentia), ubique
papillosa. Fru c tu s drupacens, indehiscens, endocarpio crustáceo v, osseo. Semen pendulum ; te s ta membranácea,
parietibus lo cu li sæpe adhærente ; albumine copioso carnoso ; embryone mínimo cordato ; ra d icu la
brevi obtusa h ilo próxima.— Herbæ ; foliis a lte rn is.
The Tasmanian species is the only Australian representative o f this very curious genus, which is almost confined to
the south temperate and Antarctic zones, but which numbers very few species ; these are chiefly insular, there being
representatives in Java, New Zealand, the Society and Sandwich Islands, Peruvian Andes, Cliili, Fuegia, and the Cape
of Good Hope. The Tasmanian one differs from its congeners in its capitate female flowers.— with alternate
petioled leaves, and simple or brandling flowei’-stcms. F low m unisexual or hermapiirodite. Calyx-ivihe of the
female flower usually compressed ; hmb two- or three-lobed, in the male sometimes wanting, or reduced to a few
scales. Fetals two or absent. Stamem one or two, opposite the petals when the latter are present. Ovary one-
ceUed, ivith one pendulous ovule, and two subulate stigmata. F ru it a smaU drupe. Seed broadly obovate, compressed,
generally filling the cavity of the fruit, to which its membranous testa often adheres. Albumen copious,
fleshy ; embryo very m inute, broadly obovate, the radicle close to the hüum, the cotyledonary end notched. (Named
in honour of John Ernest Gunner, a leained Swedish Bishop and Botanist.)
1. G u n n e r a c o r d i f o l i a (Hook, f il.) ; dioica v. monoica, acaulis, fo liis patentibus late ovato- v.
cordato-rotundatis obtusis obscure crenatis superne glabris, fl. $ spicatis, stamimbus 1 - 2 , filamento brevissimo,
fl. Î capitatis apetalis, ovario compresso, calycis lob is inæqualibus pilosis, stigmatibus elongatis
e rectis, drupa subtrigona.— Milligauia cordifolia. Nob. in Lon d . Journ. B o t. t. 2 9 9 . {Gunn, 8 7 7 .)
Hab. Abundant in springs and marshes in alpine situations, elev. 3-5000 fee t, covering large tracts
o f ground, Gunn.— (Ei. Jan.) {v. v.)
I much regret having to reduce the geuus Milligania* (wliich I had many years ago the pleasui-e o f naming
after one of the most zealous Tasmanian botanists), to one already well known ; at tbe time I established it, the
species of Gunnera were not well described, and having gathered aud examined several since then, I am convinced
tliat they constitute but one genus. The G. cordifolia however differs from the originally described species in the
frequent absence or gi-eat imperfection of the male perianth, and is hence referable to the same section as the
Fuegian species, of which the genus Bysemone was made by Solander (and Misandra by Commerson).— A succulent
fleshy herb, growing quite appressed to the gi-ouad, and throwing out strong rooting stolons. Leaves
2 -3 inches long (including the stout petiole), crowded and spread out in a stellate manner, broadly ovate or orbicular,
sometimes cordate at the base, more or less pilose on the petiole, ribs, and back, crenate at tlie edges, sometimes
obscurely lobed. Male flowers consisting o f one or two, bibraeteate, almost sessile anthers, spiked on halri'
peduncles, 2 -3 incbes loug. Anther broadly oblong, opening by lateral slits. Female flowers capitate, on short,
stout peduncles (sometimes a few are found at the base of the male spike), compressed. Calyx-'Ymh o f two lui-
equal lobes (ivith sometimes one or two minute intermediate lobes ?) ; lobes anticous and posticous, short, oblong,
blunt, ciliated, the anterior sometimes twice as long as the other. Stigmas slender or stout, subulate, much longer
than the ovary. Fruits aggi-egated in a head, as large as a raspbeny, bright red, trigonous, tui-gid.— Tiie flowers
are apt to become monstrous, especiaUy the females, wliich have then three or foui- stigmas, more or less m-egularly
combiucd in pairs, but never more than one ceU iu the ovarium, or one ovule. The calyx-lobes are often verv
irregularly disposed.
N a t . O r d . X X X . LYTH RARIEÆ.
Gen. I . L Y T H E UM , L .
C alyx cylindricus, striatus, apice dentatus. P e ta la 4 - 6 , apice tu b i orta. S tam in a aut medio aut basi
calycis orta. Oraré«?» 2 -loculare ; ovulis numerosis, placentis dissepimento adnatis; stylo gracili ; stigmate
capitate. C a pm ta calyce inclusa, polysperma.— lie r bæ ; foliis ple rum qu e oppositis v e rtic illa tis v e ; floribus
a x illa rib u s, s o lita r iis v e rtic illa tis v e .
The Tasmanian species o f Lythrum arc both Australian, and the only representatives of the genus (which is a
large one) in that country ; it is remarkable that both tlie species are common European and North limericau plants :
the majority o f their congeners are American.— ifr r is , or rarely uudershrubs, irith iisuaUy opposite or whorled
leaves, and whorled axiUai-y flowers, an-angcd in au elongated spike. Calyx-tvha long, cyUndi-ical, generaUy many-
* This name is now transferred to a Tasmanian LUiaceous plant, figured in tbe ‘ Kew Journal o f Botany’
(vol. V. p. 296, t . ix.)
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