various otlier countries which present similarly extensive areas o f desert, salt-marshes, and saline tracts.
Th e majority are however littoral, and many o f them shrubs, some common to many other parts o f the
world, bu t tlie greater number are peculiar. A b o u t seventy or e igh ty species are. known, o f which many
are referable to tb e cosmopolitan genera A tr ip le x and Chenopodium, b u t one large g en u s, R h a g o d ia , is
almost confined to Australia and Tasmauia, as are several smaller ones.
G en. I . R H A G O D IA , B r .
F lores ebracteati, hermaphroditi, rarius unisexuales. P e ria n th ium 5-partitum, laciniis carinato-con-
cavis, fructiferis immutatis. S tam in a 1 - 5 , imo perianthii in se r ta; filamentis pubescentibus, subulatis, basi
d ila ta tis; staminodiis 0 ; antheris latiusculis. Ovarium g lo b o sum ; s ty lis 2 - 3 , filiformibus, in tu s stigm atiferis.
Ac in u s depresso-globosus, basi perianthio c inc tus, pericarpio semine adhærente. Semen horizontale,
depressum; te sta Crustacea; albumine copioso, centrali, farináceo ; embryone annulari.— Frutices
foliis a ltem is v . suboppositis ; floribus v irid ibu s, s o lita r iis v . g lom e ru la tis ; glomerulis sæpius in p a n ícu la s
d is p o s itis ; stylis exsertis.
A littoral genus, most common on the south-west quarter o f the continent; about twenty species are known.
— Srnall shrubs, witb alternate, generally entire leaves, often whitish beneath, and with panicled flowering-branches
bearing solitarj-, small, green flowers, or glomerules o f these. Flowers sessile, generally hermaphrodite. Perianth
five-parted. Stamens five, the filaments pubescent, combined into a cup below, without staminodia. Ovaiy depressed,
one-ovuled, witb two or three spreading styles. Fruit depressed, fleshy, the pericarp adhering to the horizontal
seed.— This genus scarcely differs from Chenopodium, except in the shrubby habit, pubescent filaments, and
fleshy fruit. (Name from p a t a berry ; in allusion to the fleshy fruit.)
1 . R h a g o d i a b a c c a t a (Moq. Tand. in DC . Prodr. xiii. 5 0 ) ; caule fruticoso erecto, ramis sulcatis
inermibus, foliis lanceolatis linearibusve integerrimis planis superne glaberrimis subtus albido-pulverulentis,
paniculis compositis ramosis ramis divaricatis, floribus sessilibus p olygamis.— R. Biilardieri, B r . F ro d r.
4 0 8 . Chenopodium baccatum, La b . F l. Nov . H o ll. i. 7 1 . t. 9 6 . {Gunn, 3 9 0 .)
Var. fl. eon g e sta ; fo liis densis, deltoi- v . rhombeo-ovatis.— R. eongesta, Moq. Tand. in B C . P ro d r.
x iii. 5 1 . Chenopodium congestura. Nob. in Lon d . Jouru. B o t. vi. 2 8 0 .
Hab. Common in salt-marshes, e tc ., especially on th e north coasts o f the Island. Var. fl. Hobarton.
— (F l. Jan.) {v. V.)
Distm b . Coasts o f extratropical Australia, from Hun ter ’s River to Swan River. (Cultivated in E n g land.)
A very variable shrub, 2 -6 feet high, with spreading, furrowed, and angled branches, often striped green or
reddish and white. Leaves scattered or crowded, very variable in size and form, 4 - 2 inches long, lanceolate, eUip-
tical-oblong, or subhastate; glabrous above, more or less powdery beneath. Panicles branched. Flowers very
small, clustered.— The R. eongesta is a broader-leavetl state o f this plant, which owes much of its peculiar appearance
to being young.
2. R h a g o d ia n u t a n s (Br. Prodr. 4 0 8 ) ; caule herbáceo ramosissimo, ramis gracilibus prostratis diffusis
sæpius intricatis inermibus, foliis parvis petiolatis suboppositis hastatis v. ob longo-lanceolatis acutis
integerrimis margine recurvis utrinque viridibu.=!, spicis v ix paniculatis nutantibus ramis gracillimis laxifloris,
floribus sessihbus minimis.— Moq. Tand. in B C . P ro d r . xiii. 5 3 . {Gunn, 7 2 7 .)
H ab. Abundant in plains near Ross, Gunn ; and shores o f tbe De rwent.— (Fl. D e c .) {v. v.)
Dist r ib . South-eastern Australia; N ew South Wales and Ytictoria. (Cultivated in E ngland.)
Root and base of stem woody. Branches numerous, diffuse, prostrate, very slender, often interlaced, a foot or
more long. Leaves small, opposite, i -A inch long, petioled, hastate, green on both surfaces. Flowers minute,
dianclrous, in small, slender, nodding, simple or branched, terminal panicles.
Gen. I I . C H E N O P O D IUM , L .
Flores ebracteati, hermaphroditi v. abortu u nisexuales. P e rian th ium 3 -5 -p a r titum , fructiferum non
auctum. S tam in a 5 (rarissime pauciora), fundo perianthii in se r ta ; staminodia 0. Ovarium depresso-globo-
suin ; s ty lis 2 - 3 interne stigmatiferis. Utricu lu s depressus, perianthio involutus, membranáceas. Semen
horizontale V. verticale; testa crustácea ; albumine centrali farináceo; embryone peripherico.— Herbæ p l e rumque
p u lv e r e ^ V. g la n d u lo sæ ¡ fo liis a lte rn is ; floribus in glomerulos dispositis.
The Australian species of this extensive genus much resemble their European allies, and grow in similar localities
; about eight are known, most o f ivliich are considered to be peculiar to the continent, but I suspect that
some will prove to be vai-ieties of widely diffused plants. The genus differs from Rhagodia in being hcrbacemis,
and in liaving a membranous utriculus, with the seed free. (Name from a goose, aud ttowç, a fo o t ; in allusion
to the form of the leaf o f the English “ Goose-foot.”)
1. Chenopodium glaucum (Lin n . Sp. PI. 3 2 0 ) ; caule herbáceo ramoso prostrato, ramis ascendentibus
sulcatis, foliis petiolatis rhombeis v . ob lon g o - v. lanceolato-rbombeis obtusis sinuatis angulatis re pando
dentatisve tenuibus supra glabris subtus farinosis glaucisve, racemis spicatis, perianthio fructifero
imperfecta clauso, semine erecto v. horizontab nitido margine obtuso v. a cutiusculo.— Moq. Tand. in BC.
P ro d r. xiii. 7 2 ; F l. N . Zeal. i. 2 1 3 .
Var. ambiguum ; racemis foliaceis, seminis margine obtusiuseulo.— C. ambiguum, B r . P ro d r . 4 0 7 ;
Moq. Tand. I. c. 6 7 . {Gunn, .384, 8 6 8 .)
H-vb. Common on tbe beach, near high-water mark.— (Fl. N o v .) {v. v .)
D i s t iu b . Extratropical interior and coasts o f Australia ; N ew Zealand; South Ch ili; throughout tem perate
E urope and Asia.
I have several times studied this with other Australian Chenopodiaceæ, which so perfectly resemble European
species in general appearance, that they can only be separated by characters o f slight value, and I have always found
myself compelled to merge this, the C. ambiguum o f Brown, in C. glaucum. Moqiiin-Tandon’s excellent characters of
the two are almost identical in every point, except iu the Australian plant having leafy racemes, and blunter edges
to the seed ; but I find tbat tbe opposite o f these characters are not constant in C. glaucum (which bas often both
leafy racemes aud blunt edges to the seed), whilst the two plants agi-ee so entirely iu habit, foliage, general appearance,
and in aU other characters, even to that of the variable position of the seed, and number of the segments
of the perianth, that I should hesitate before regarding tbe above differences, even if constant, as of specific value.
— The Australian plant is extremely variable in size, from 1 -3 feet, and in the stoutness of the brandies and size
o f the leaves, whicii are 4 - 2 inclies long, and deltoid, ovate, oblong, rhomboid, or vai-ious modifications of these
forms ; tlieir margins are variously sinuate, dentate, or toothed, rarely laciniate. Racemes short, in the axils of the
leaves, sometimes elongate, an inch long, aud leafless. In Australia it is uot confined to the sea-coast.
2 . Chenopodium erosum (Br. Prodr. 4 0 7 ) ; caule herbáceo suberecto suleato-angulato ramoso,
foliis longe petiolatis patulis triangulari-ovatis v . obloiigo-triaiigularibus subcordatis acuminatis inæqualiter
eroso-sinuatis (dentibus obtusiusculis) tenuibus parcc pulverulentis utrinque pallide viridibus, racemis breviter
paniculatis snblaxis foliatis, perianthio fructifero imperfecte clauso valde carinato, semine margine
obtusiuseulo rugoso haud nitido.— Moq. Tand. in B C . P ro d r . xiii. 6 8 .
H a b . Tasmania, Brown.
D is t iu b . South coast o f Australia, Brown.
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