Hab. Hobarton, Circular Head, Currie’s River, east o f Georgetown, A . Cunningham, Gunn.— (Fl.
Oct.) { v . v . )
I have great doubts as to tbe distinctness o f thi? species, wliicb I have at one time been inclined to refer to
E. amygdalina, and at others to E. radiata, but from both of which it differs in the veiy small, sessile fruit, and
very shining, coriaceous leaves. Gunn says, that at Currie’s River it forms a bush only 5 feet high, and that
at Circular Head it grows 1 0 -2 0 feet high, aud appears more of a shrub than a tree. I t approaches E. atellulata,
Sieber, in many points, but wants the three parallel nerves of that plant, and the large operculum.— P l a t e XXIX.
Fig. 1 and 2, ripe-finit, nat. size; 3, calyx, magnifed.
Gen. V I . L E P T O S P E RM UM , Forst.
Flores sparsi, axiilares. Calycis tub u s campanulatus, cum ovario connatus, lim b u s superus v . 4-superus,
sæpissime deciduus, lob is 5 , valvatis. F e ta la 5 , orbiculata. S lam in a 2 0 - 6 0 ; filameuta brevia, libera.
fîttwî 4 -5 -lo cu la r e , lo cu lis m u ltiovulatis. Capsula apice lo culicide dehiscens.— Arbores v. frú tic es; foliis
a lte rn is, e x stip u la tis ; fioribus albis.
One o f the most difficult genera in the Order, on account o f the excessive variability o f its species, whether
in Australia, where thii'ty are known, or in New Zealand, where only two have been detected, The genus is ahnost
confined to these two countries, a few species only having been found in Java, Borneo, and the Molucca Islands,
accompanying various other types o f Australian vegetation. Schauer’s divisions o f the genus into those with
caducous and persistent calyx-lobes, are not available for the Tasmanian species, all o f which have lobes whicli faU
away at very variable periods, but always before the fruit ripens. Of the Tasmanian species, L. scoparium is very
tlistinct; L . myrtifolium aud L. rupestre are probably varieties ^of one, and many states of them are hardly distinguishable,
when dry, from L. nitidum ; L. nitidum, pubescens, and Jlavescens, all pass into one another, and are probably
states of one variable species.— Trees or shrubs, with alternate, exstipulate leaves, and white flowers, o f the
same structure as those o f Callistemon, but axiHaiy, scattered, and the stamens have short filaments, and the
calyx-lobes are valvate. (Name from Astitos, slender, and (nreppa, a seed.)
I . L e p t o s p e rm u m s c o p a r iu m (Smith, L in u . Trans, iii. 2 6 2 ) ; erectum, ramulis angulatis foliisque
n o v ellis sericeis, foliis brevissime p e tiolatis patulis recurvisve rigidis late ovatis e llip tic is lanceolatisve acuminatis
pun gen tib u s concavis enerviis, floribus se ssilibus axillaribus v. ramulis brevissimis terminalibus,
calyce brevi turbinato glabro lob is dé c idais rotundatis, capsula lign o sa calyce semi-immersa apice 5-valvi.
— D C . F ro d r . iii. 2 2 7 ; Schauer in L in n a a , xv. 4 2 4 ; F l. N . Z eal. i. 6 9 . L . grandiflorura, Hooh. B o t.
M a g . t. 3 4 1 9 . P h ilade lphus scoparius, A it. H o r t. K ew . ed. 1 . ii. 1 5 6 . Melaleuca scoparia, Forsi. P ro d r.
2 4 0 .
Var. a . s c o p a r ia ; erecta, fo liis lanceolatis. {Gunn, 4 8 6 , 8 1 4 .)
Yar. /S. lin ifo lia (DC. 1. c.) ; erecta, foliis an gu ste lineari-lanceolatis.— L . squarrosum, Gærtn. Fruct.
i. 1 7 4 ; Sieb. P I . E x s ic c .p . 3 1 1 . M. scoparia diosmatifolia, Wendl. I. c . f 1. [Gunn, 4 8 6 , 8 1 1 .)
Yar. 7 . m y r tifo lia (DC. 1. c.) ; erecta, foliis elliptico-ovatis rotundatisve.— Wendl. I. c. Philadelphus
floribuudus, Kcem. e t lis t. Mag. 7 . t . 2 . {Gunn, 4 8 6 , 1 2 5 9 .)
Hab. Yery abundant tb roughout the Colony. Yar. 7 . Elinders’ Island and Recherche B ay, Gunn.—
(F l. O c t.-M a r ch .) («. v.)
Dist r ib . South-eastern Australia, N ew Zealand. (Cultivated in E ngland.)
An exceedingly variable plant, but yet one of the best marked in the genus, and never passing into any o f the
following. It is even more abundant in New Zealand than in Australia or Tasmania, and there alpine states of it
are quite prostrate.— A rigid shrub, 1 - 1 2 feet high, covered with white flowers, and often squarrose, harsh, punp
n t foliage. Young branches and leaves silky. Leaves rigid, spreading, 3 lines to | incli long, extremely variable
m shape, l-om broadly elliptical-ovate or orbicular, to narrow-lanceolote, always glabrous, concave, veiy acuminate
and pungent, one-, three-, or more nerved or nerveless. Tlmaen sessile, very numerous, white, variable in size.
Capsules half-exserted beyond the calyx.
2 . L e p t o s p e rm u m l a n i g e m m {Smith in Linn. T ra ils , iii. 26.5) ; erectum, ramulis sericeis, foliis
suberectis obovato- v . lin ca ri-k n ceo la tis abrupte acuminatis utrinque v . subtus calycibusque sericeis villosisve
. {& « » , 2 8 9 , 2 8 9 ? 8 1 0 .)
Var. a . p u b e s c en s ; foliis utrinque sericeis villosisve .— L . pubescens, WU U . Sp. P I . ii. 94,9 ; S c la u e r
in iin n e e a , x v . 4 1 8 . L. scriceum, A . Ounn. M S S .
Var. lanige ra ; foliis supra glaberrimis, calycibus villosissimis.— L . lanigerum, A it. H o rt. K ew . e i.
2 . iii. 1 8 2 ; L e i i . B e t. Cab. ii. 9 2 ; B C . P r o ir . iii. 2 2 7 . P hiladelphus laniger, A it. H o rt. K ew . e i . 1. ii.
1 6 6 . (Ounn, 6 8 1 , 8 0 9 .)
Var. y . g r a n iifo lia ; foliis majoribus supra nitid is subtus se r iceo-pubescentibus.— L . graiidifoliurn.
Sm ith , L in n . T ram . vi. 2 9 9 ; B ot. M a g . t. 1 8 1 0 ; L o d i. B o t. Cab. i. 7 0 1 ; B C . P r o ir . iii. 2 2 7 ; Schauer
in Linnæa, xv. 4 1 3 .
H ab. Abundant th roughout th e Island, in many soils and situations.— (F l. all summer.) {v. v .)
(Colonial name, “ Tea-tree.” )
D i s t r i b . South-eastern Australia. (Cultivated in E ngland.)
Whole shrub, sometimes green, at others more or less hoary or white, with silky pubescence. A very common
aud extremely variable lowland and mountain plant, 5 -3 0 feet high, m th the trunk attaining 4 -5 feet in circmu-
ference. I am quite unable to unravel the synonymy of the varieties quoted above, aU of which I am convinced
are referable to one species.— 4 - 1 inch long, linear, plane, oblong-lanceolate or obovate-lauceolate, shortly
acuminate or apiculate, the point sometimes recuiwed, pilose, hoary, silky or \dllous beneath or on both sides, above
nerveless or tk e e - to five-nerved. Calyx silky or villous, often densely so, with spreading, soft, white hairs ; lobes
variable iu size and shape, deciduous before tlie fruit is r ip e .-T h e leaves o f this plant have been used by the early
colonists as a substitute for Tea.
3. Leptospermum fiavescens (Smith, Linn. Trams, iii. 1 6 2 ) ; erectum, ramulis sericeis glabratisve,
foliis lineari- v. anguste oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis pungentibus utrinque glaberrimis nitidis, calycibus
sericeis glabratisve.— -«A S o r t . K ew . ed. 2 . iii. 1 8 1 ; B C . F r o ir . iii. 2 2 7 ; Schauer in L in n a a , xv. 4 3 9 ;
Hooh, Bot. M a g . t. 2 6 9 3 . Melaleuca Thea, Wendl. S e rt. H an n . p . 2 4 . t. 1 4 . L . polygalæfolium. S a t.
P r o i r . iii. L . poropliylluin, Cav. I c . iv. 1 7 . t. 3 3 0 . / . 2 . (Ounn, 7, 1 9 6 2 .)
IIab.' Abundant on banks o f r iv e ts; the on ly species found near Launceston, Gunn.— (P\. D e e .)
D i s t b ib . South-eastern Australia. {Cultivated iu England.)
A shrub or small tree, 5 -1 5 feet high. The longer, glabrous, shining, more acuminate leaves, and glabrous
or sparingly silky calyces, alone distinguish this from L. puheiceiis. The Tasmanian specimens dilfer from tlie Aus-
tralian in having larger leaves and whiter flowers.
4 . Leptospermum nitidum (H o ok . 81.) ; erectum, ramis glaberrimis, ramulis pubescentibus, foliis
planis eUiptico-oblongis oblongis lanceolatisve pnugeuti-acnminalis 3-nerviis utrinque glaberrimis n itidis
interdum ciliolatis, lloribus magnis, calj'cibns sericeis.— L . pilosum, Schtauer ? in Wa lp . Hep. ii. 9 2 3 .
{Gunn, 8 1 3 .)
IIab. Rocky Cape ; heathy plains between Maequarrie Harbour aud Lake St. Clair, Gunn. (F l. De c .)
Mr. Gunn considcre this a very distinct species, but it appears to me to pass ou the one liand into glabrous
forms of L . sericeiim, and on the other into broad-leaved states of L. Jlavescens, so that I cannot by words discri