Il
Gen. VI. CYMODOCEA, König.
Flores dioici, in pedicello primuin vagina folii ineluso demum elongato solitarii. Fenanthium 0.
Masc. Stamina 2, sessilia, 2-locularia; polline confervoideo. E(EM. Ovaria 2, libera, 1-locularia, 1-ovu-
lata; ovulo péndulo. S ty h s filiformis; stigmatibus 2. Capsula 2, bivalves. Senien pendulum, exalbu-
minosum.—Herb® marina; caule sarmentoso, ramisi^ííe articulatis; foliis linearibus.
I am very doubtful whether the Euppia antárctica of Labillardiere shoidd be rcfeiTed to this genus, luiving
seen no flower or fruit, and the male flower alone being hitherto described by Gaudichaud. C. antárctica strongly
resembles, in habit and general appearance, some Indian plants referred to Tlialassia, as T. Indica, but the generic
character of TJialassia attributes a three-leaved perianth to that genus, flowers enclosed in a pcduncled spathe, and
nine anthers to the male flower, characters whoDy at variance with Gaudichaud’s description of Euppia antárctica-
(Name from Ku/ioSoioj. a sea-xiymph.)
1. Cymodocea a n tá rc tica (Endl. Gen. 230; Plant, Preiss. ii. 273); caule elongato flexuoso
ramoso, ramis elongatis teretibus v. compressis annulatis apice foliosis, foliis patulis amplexicaulibus linearibus
late truncato-bidentatis, bgula brevissima truncata.—Posidonia antárctica, Spreng. Syst. Teg. i. 181.
Caulinia? antárctica, Br. Prodr. 339. Ruppia antárctica, Lab. FI. Nov. JIoll. ii. 116. t. 264; Gaud, in
Frey. Voy. Bot. 430. t. xl. / . 2. Graumullera, Reich., fid. Endl. Gen. Amphibolis zosterifolia, Agardh,
Syst. Alg. 192. [Gunxi, 1358.)
IIab. Rocks in the sea, Georgetowu, Gunn.
D is t r ib . East, west, and south coasts of Australia.
Slexna sparingly branched, 1-2 feet long, pale brown, cylindrical, jointed, joints swollen, as thick as a pigeon’s
quiU- Leaves crowded at the end of the branches, alternate, amplexicaul, 1^-2 inches long, i inch broad, linear,
with a broad shaUow notch at the tip, dark-green, nerveless. Ligula very short, decurrent, forming inflexed margins
to the base of the leaf (as in Posidonia).
Gen. V II. ZOSTERA, L.
Flores monoici v. dioici. Spatha foliácea, basi folii longitudinaliter adnata. Spadix membranaceus,
inclusus, antice staminibus ovariisque biseriatis onustus. Anthera solitarim, sessiles, peltat®, 1 -loculares,
polline confervoideo. Ovaria pauca, dorso prope apicem affixa, 1-locularia; ovulo 1, péndulo, orthotropo;
stylo persistente, subulato; stigmatibus 2, capillaribus. evalvis. pendulum, exalbuminosum
; testa membranácea, longitudinaliter striata; embryone macropoda, radicula infera, cotyledone inflexa,
rima longitudinali inclusa.— HerbEe marina; caule repente, radicante; foliis gramineis, basi vaginantibus.
Slender, creeping, marine plants, called “ Sea-wrack ” in England, with grassy leaves, which are extremely
variable in breadth and length. There is probably but one species (of the varieties of which many more have
been made), which is found in all seas, but not hitherto found in flower or fruit in those of Australia aud New
Zealand.— adnate to the inner face of the base of the leaves. Stamens and ovanes inserted in two rows on
the face of a flat thin, spadix. Flowers moncecious. Perianth 0. Male fiower a sessile, one-ceUed anther, with
confervoid poUen, Female an ovate ovary, with one long, filiform style and two stigmata, one cell and one ovule.
Fruit a utriculus, bursting irregularly. Seed pendulous, without albumen, a large radicle and inflexed cotyledon
lodged in a slit. (Name from ¿,uirrrqp, a ribbon; in allusion to the form of the leaves.)
1. Z o s te r a mar ina? (Linn. Sp. PI. 1734).—.Sr. Prodr. 338. {Gmin, 1348.)
Hab. Abundant in the sea, especially in muddy estuaries, forming extensive green banks.— {v. v.)
D is t r ib . European and North-Americaii shores, from Iceland southwards, tbe Mediterrauciin, Cape
of Good Hope, Australia, and New Zealand.
Stems creeping; branches slender, erect, leafy. Leaves iu Tasmanian specimens 6-12 inches long, 1-2 lines
broad, with numerous, very faint nerves. Flowers fru it unknown in Tasmania.
Gen. V I II. ilK hO P llIL k ,G a u d .,a n T h o u a r s ? .
Flores dioici?, (interdum) monoici, axillares, solitarii, breve pedicellati. Perianthium spathaceum,
diphyllum. F l. ma sc . Stamina 3 ; filamentis connatis; antheris liberis, extrorsis, 1-iocularibus. Pollen
confervoideum. F l. fcem. Ovarium l-loculare; ovulis plurimis, parietalibus, auatropis ; stylo elongato ;
stigmate obliquo, discoideo, (stigmatibus 3 -5, filiformibus. Gaud.) Semina exalbuminosa, embryone curvo ;
(semina depresso-subglobosa, umbilico basilari; testa membranacea; albumine farinoso; embryone apice
albuminis posito, torto, Gaud.)—Herbula submarina, delicatula ; caule repente, gracili, nodoso, ad nodos
folioso ; foliis hinis longe gracile petiolatis, oblongis v. lineari- v, ellipiiao-oblongis, obtusis, integerrimis ore-
nulatisve ; costa crassiuscula ; venis intramarginalibus, capillaribus v. evanidis ; venulis e costa divarieatis
ascendentibusve ; stipulis ad nodos hinis, oppositis, late oblongis, obtusis, membranaceis, deciduis.
A very curious plant, of which I have seen no flower or fruit, and I have taken the above description of these
in part from Endlicher’s ‘ Genera Plantarum,’ for which I believe Gaudichaud is the authority, and in part from some
notes and sketches of flowers of both sexes, for which I am indebted to C. Drew, Esq., Assistant-Surgeon in the
Madras Army, who examined specimens of apparently the same plant on the Malabar coast. It appears to be a
congener of Delile’s Zostera bullata.—A very slender, submarine, pale-green plant, consisting of a slender, creeping,
jointed stem, giving off a pair of long-petioled leaves at each joint. Leaves membranous, ^ 2 inches long, oblong or
elliptic or linear-oblong, blunt, with a slender, intramargiiial vein, and stout costa, which gives off slender venules.
Flowei-s moncecious in Mr. Drew’s notes (according to Gaudichaud dioecious), axülary, solitary, enclosed in two
spathaeeous bracts. Male of three one-celled anthers (two-ceUed according to Mr. Drew’s description, but not his
figiue), with monadelphous filaments, linear anthers, and confervoid pollen. Female fiower of one one-ceUed, many-
ovuled ovary, with a slender style, and obliquely truncate, discoid stigma {Jlreto), and three to five stigmas [Gaud).
Seeds many, according to Gaudichaud, depressed, globose, with copious, faiinaceous albumen, and a small, twisted
embryo, in a cavity at its apex (but according to Mr. Drew, abont twelve, exalbuminous, with a curved embryo ?).
(Name from dAs, the sea, and in allusion to its marine habitat.)
1. H a lo p h ila o v a lis (Gaud, in Freyc. Voy. Bot. p. 429. t. 40. f. 1) ; caule gracili, nodis remotis,
foliis planis longe petiolatis.—Caulinia ovalis, Br. Prodr. 329. Diplanthera, Grijf. Notul. ad Plant. Asiat.
Monocot. t. 161 C. f 2. (Gumi, 1346.)
H a b . Found floating in the sea in Bass’s Straits, Gunn.
D is t r ib . Tropical aud South-western Australia, the peninsula of India, and Madagascar.
N a t . O r d . IX. MELANTHACEÆ.
A small Order, in Australia containing about fifteen species, with one exception extratropical.
Gen. I. BURCHARDIA, Br.
Flores umbellati. Perianthium inferum, petaloideum, 6 -pliyHum, foliolis erecto-patentibus, basi nec-
tariferis. Stamina 6, basi perianthii inserta ; antheris extrorsis, peltatis. Ovarium trigonum, acutum, triloculare;
ovulis plurimis, biseriatis; stylis 3, brevibus. Capsula 3-partibilis, introrsum debiscens. Semina
conferta, biseriata, verticaliter compressa ; testa coriacea.— Herbæ ; radieibus e fibris crassis, fasciculatis ;
caule simplici, f oliato ; foliis linearibus, vagina integra, superioribus subvagiiiantibus, supremis involucri-
fonnihus ; floribus albis.
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