Citation: Smith, Trans. Linn. Soc. 4:217 (1798).

Derivation: After Thomas Velley, 1748-1806, an English algologist.

Synonymy: Menoceras R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 580 (1810); Antherostylis C. Gardner, J. Roy. Soc. W.A. 19:91 (1934).

Common name: Velleias.

Description:
Annual and perennial herbs with a tap root; hairs simple, non-glandular; stem very short; leaves basal, dentate to pinnatipartite, flat.

Inflorescence a dichotomous axillary cyme on a long peduncle with paired opposite bracteoles; flower strongly zygomorphic, appearing hypogynous, with a vestigial hypanthium; sepals 5, partly connate or free; corolla shortly tubular, deeply split posteriorly, forming an anterior spur or pocket; lobes winged, unequal to subequal, glabrous to pubescent, the 2 posterior upcurved, more or less auriculate, more deeply cut than the anterior 3; stamens free, epigynous; anthers free, oblong; style simple, almost straight, pubescent to glabrous, subequal to the corolla; indusium oblong to suborbicular, 2-lipped; stigma entire or emarginate; ovary incompletely 2-celled with a large dissepiment bearing 4-20 ovules in 2 rows on each side.

Fruit a capsule, 4- or 2-valved; seeds few to several, endospermic, flat, with a wing or a thickened rim; caruncle absent.

Distribution:  20 species in Australia. (R. C. Carolin (1967)Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W.. 92:27-57).

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Bractcoles wholly connate into a cup	V. connata 2.
1. Bractcoles free or almost free
2. Corolla white to pink or mauve; capsule 2-valved	V. cycnopotamica 3.
2. Corolla yellow; capsule 4-valved
3. Corolla lobes subequal; indusium narrow-oblong; seeds broad-elliptic, acuminate at the base	V. arguta 1.
3. Corolla lobes unequal (the anterior 3, measured from their junction, shorter than the others); indusium ovate; seeds orbicular
4. Peduncles glabrous; annual	V. glabrata 4.
4. Peduncles pubescent; perennial	V. paradoxa 5.

Author: Not yet available