Sida discolor, lîo o k .B o t. M a g . i. 2 7 5 . P . Lampenii, L in d l. in B o t. R eg . xx: Journ. B o t. i. 2 5 0 .
[G u n n , 4 5 2 .)
H ab. Common in the soutliern parts o f th e Islan d , in a rich soil, growing in ravines, Frase r, etc.-—
(PI. March, Oct.) [v. v .) N a tiv e name, “ Currajong.” (Cultivated in England.)
A tree or large shrub 1 0 -1 2 feet high, strictly dioecious, and both sexes flowering (according to Mr, Gunu) at two
seasons.— B a rk fuU of strong fibres, used as cordage. Stems, leaves, and inflorescence more or less pubescent or tomentose.
Leaves on short petioles, 2 - 5 inches long, narrow oblong or oblong-lanceolate, coarsely crenate, rigid in consistence
when drj', rugose above, with minute impressed veins, white and woolly below. Male flowers on nearly erect
racemes, white, drooping, on short pedicels. Calyx broadly campanulate, five-lobed. Corolla very variable in size,
4 - i inch diameter; lobes obovate-oblong, stellate-pubescent. P is til columnar; styles united, Female flowers
smaller, on shorter racemes, with longer tubidar calyces, and smaUer densely woolly corollas. Ovaries two, combined,
one-ovuled. Styles two, more or less combined below, veiy pilose above ; stigmata very short, papillose ou
the inner surface, blunt. Fru it membranous, pubescent, included in the calj-x, two-celled, one cell with an imperfect
seed, the other w ith a perfect one, similar to that o f P. pulchellus.— This species differs very much from P . p u lchellus
in the two-celled fruit, whose carpels are attached by broad faces, and do not fall away from a central column ;
the fruit is also enclosed in the tubular calyx, and the corolla is also persistent in fr-uit.
N a t . O r d . XV I. BÜ T T N E R U C EÆ .
N ear ly one hundred species o f th is Na tu ra l F amily occur in Australia, o f which m ost are confined to
the south-western coasts. There are however a considerable number o f eastern extratropical species, and
some tropical one s. Am o n g st th e latter are several plants that are found iu many distant parts o f the
torrid zone, as W a lth e ria In d ic a and M e lochia corchorifolia. The typical Australian genera liave very
narrow geographical lim its, and th e rarity o f th e Order in Tasmania is remarkable.
Gen. I . L A S IO P E T A L UM , Sm.
C alyx persistens, 5-partitus, sabpetaloideus. F e ta la 5 , minima. Stam in a 5 , petalis opp o sita ; f ila -
mentis liberis ; a n th eris elongatis, extrorsis, apice poro v. rima brevi dehiscentibus. Ovarium 1 -4 -lo cu la r e ,
ov a lis 1 - 2 ascendeutibus. S ty lu s su b u la tu s; stigmate simplici v . trífido. Capsula calyce inclusa, lo cu lic
id e 2 -4 -v a lv is . Semina soUtaria, te sta puberula, strophiolo digitato v. lobato ; albumen carnosum ;
embryo orthotropus.— Frú tice s s te lla tim tomeniosi, e x s tip u la tij inflorescentia cymosa, oppositifo lia , bracteis
hypocaly cinis sæpe trifid is.
Shrubs, always densely covered with woolly stellate pubescence ; all natives of Australia, south o f the Tropics ;
not very numerous in species.— Flowers in dense cymes, each with a bract beneath the calyx. Calyx five-lobed,
large, generally petaloid between the lobes. P eta ls minute, or none. Stamens five, opposite the petals, with short,
free filaments, mserted in front o f long, narrow anthers, that burst by short slits or pores at the apex. Ovary one-
to four-celled, with one style, and a simple or lobed stigma; ovules ascending, one or more in each ceD. Fruit
enclosed in the calyx, o f two to four united carpels, that split down the dorsum. Seed solitary, erect, with a hairy
testa. (Name from \aaios, wool, and nerdkov; from the wooUy caljx^.)
1 . L a s i o p e t a lu m d i s c o l o r (Hook. Comp. B o t. Mag. i. 2 7 6 ) ; foliis breve petiolatis deltoideo-cor-
H a b . Bass’ Straits, Pr im e Seal Island, Backhouse, Gunn. (El. Sept,) ii
datis obtusis supra pubescentibus subtus albo-tomentosis, cymis densifloris pedunculatis, bracteis 3-partitis
flore longioribus dense v illosis, calycibus albo-tomentosis profunde 5-partitis lob is ovato-lanceolatis, ovario
dense villoso, stylo gracili glaberrimo.— Hook. Journ. B o t. ii. 4 1 4 . [Gunn, 5 5 1 .)
Densely pubescent.— Leaves l | - 2 inches long, triangular-cordate, rather truncate at the base, very blunt, wbite
lielow, ivith stout nerves, margins waved ; petiole 4 inch long. Flowers capitate, on very short pedicels ; peduncle
as long as tlie petiole, Brac t much larger than the flower, deeply three-lobed to the base, white with ferruginous
down at the base o f each lobe, middle segment much tbe longest. Calyx campanulate, 4 inch long, densely villous
externally, blmsh internally ; lobes ovate-lanceolate. Petals obovate, small. Stamens longer tban the ovary, with
filiform filaments and slender anthers opening by terminal pores, tbeir membranous apex bilobed parallel to the
loculi, outer lobe spreading. Ovary veiy villous, witb white hairs. Style slender, quite glabrous, with a minute
three-lobed stigma. Fruit not seen.— This appears to be almost identical ivith a Swan River plant, but that has
ratlier longer peduncles to the cymes ; and considering how distant the countries are, and how few species are
common to both, I hesitate to unite them without better data thau I possess.
2 . L a s io p e t a lv im G u n n i i (Steetz in P lan t. P reiss. ii. 3 4 2 ) ; foliis ovato- v. lineari-oblongis late
deltoideo-ovatisve basi truncatis cordato-bilobisve superne glabris subtus albo-tomentosis junioribus rufes-
centibus, cymis breve pedunculatis paucifloris, sty lo basi hispido.— L . dasyphyllum, S ieb., var. Rook. f l i .
in Journ. B o t. ii. 4 1 4 . {Gunn, 5 5 1 in p a r t, e t 1 0 3 2 .)
H a b . R ock y Cape, and islands in Bass’ Straits, in shingle close to the sea, Gunn.— (El. D e c . F eb.)
A small shi-ub in Tasmania, which Gunn found only where it was extremely stunted by the violent sea
winds, owing to wbich the tops of the Banksias, and other plants amongst which it grew, appeared as if they had
been cut off witb a scjdhe.— Whole plant coarser and more robust than L. discolor, covered with rufous or tawny-
brown wool when dry, the young leaves and shoots with often a feiTuginous or ochreous, sometimes red, pubescence.
Leaves 1 -5 inches long, varying from triangular-ovate to linear-oblong, cordate-bilobed or tmncate at the base,
often deflexed, margins not crisped or waved, under surface generally wbite. Cymes on very short peduncles, six-
to twenty-flowered. Flowers crowded, shortly pediceUed, 4 inch diameter, densely tomentose w ith femiginous down.
Braets tripartite, lobes narrow, variable in length, seldom, longer than tbe flower. Calyx beraispberical, lobes
ovate-oblong, densely steUate-pubescent. Petals minute, obovate. Stamens shorter than the ovary, with short
filaments, and Unear anthers, with extrorse sUts and minute terminal pores (empty of poUen in iny specimens).
Ovary spherical, densely covered with stellate hairs, three- or four-celled ; ovules two, coUateral, ascending. Style
simple, densely hahy below, suddenly contracted, glabrous and subulate, witb three or four mniute stigmata. Seed
solitaiy in each ceU, erect, oblong, witb a bUobed arillus and pUose brown testa.
This plant appears to me to be dioecious, and none o f its flowers have poUeniferous anthers. I should not have
ventured to separate it from L. dasyphyllum, but for the opinion o f Steetz, who appears to have better specimens of
Sieber’s plant than I have. Of the (Rstinctive characters between tbem whicb he points out, the hispid base o f the
style is the only important one ; the size and shape of the leaves, amount and colour o f tomentum, size of the
flowers and their toineiitnm, are all as vaiiable as possible in tbis species and its allies, as any good series of specimens
proves. The ovaiy and capsule are often five-ceUed.
3 . L a s io p e ta lum m ic ran th um (Hook, fil.) ; foliis breve petiolatis anguste linearibus subacutis
marginibus recurvis subtus dense albo-tomentosis, cymis paucifloris, floribus pedicellatis paucis, bracteæ
lobis la tis {lore brevioribus, calycis laciniis subulato-lanceolatis acuminatis, pilis dorso simplicibus, petalis
minimis, antheris brevibus longitudmaliter dehiscentibus, sty lo basi glabro. {Gunn, 1 0 3 3 .)
H a b . Eastern Tier, near Oyster B ay, and on hills thirty-five miles south-east o f Launceston, Gunn.
A small erect species, whose anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits perhaps ally it to the genus Ouichenotia,
Gay, but wbich in all otlier respects agrees w itb Lasiopetalum. I t is very nearly aflied to the L. parviflorum (Rudge
in Linn. Soc. TVaiis. x. 297. t. 19, f. 2), but the petals are far more acute and the filaments are longer.— Branches
slender. Leaves 1 - 2 inches long, hnear, with recurved margins, glabrous above, wbite with stellate tomentum
below, subacute, blunt at tbe base, on short petioles. Cytnes small, on slender peduncles 4 - 4 iuch long. Flowers
few, pedieelled. Brac t three-lobed, lobes spreading, shorter than the caljTi, obovate-oblong, blunt. Calyx 4 inch
! !