ramis ramulisque puberulis, foliis parvis coriaceis n itid is brevissime petiolatis elliptico-lanceolatis oblongisve
obtusis subaeulisve enerviis margiuibus recurvis, floribus solitariis 4-fidis. {Gnnn, 8 7 4 .) (T a b . X X X IX .)
H a b . Common on th e mountain-tops and in open alpine situations generally, Gunn.— (F l. Jan.)
(v . V.)
An erect, rigid, woody shrub, 5 -6 feel high, with stiff, pnbendous branehes, generally densely covered with
leaves. Leaves inch long, shortly petioled, veiy eoriaceous and sldiiing above, lanceolate or cUiptic-lonceolate,
blunt, with recm-ved margins. Stipules transverse, tnincate. F lm e rs sohtary, sessile, tetramerous. Be irie s pale
orange-red, refreshing, and o f service in allaying thirst.— P l a t e XXXIX. J . Branch with female flower ; and B.
Branch with finiit. Fig. 1, stem, leaf, aud stipule; 2, male flower; 3, female ditto; 4, berry; 5, transverse sectiou
o f ditto ; 6, seed :— all magnified.
4 . Coprosma pumila (H o ok . fil. in L ou d . Journ. B o t. vi. 4 6 5 ) ; fruticulus repens glaberrimus v.
foliis junioribus puberulis, ramulis brevibus suberectis foliosis, foliis parvis lineari- v. elliptico-obovatis
lanceolatisve obtusis acutisve rigidis coriaceo-carnosis in pe tiolum brevem angustatis, floribus (pro planta
m agnis) sessilibus axillaribus, calyce brevi 4-fid o , corolla tubulosa 4 - f id a . -D / . N . Z e a l.i. I l l ; FL A n ta r c t.
i. t . 1 6 D . suh nom. C. repens. {Gunn, 3 0 4 .)
H a b . Middle sex P la in s, and on all th e mountain-tops, abundant, Gunn.— (F l. F eb .)
D i s t r i b . V ictoria, Mou n t Kosc iu sk o, elev. 6 0 0 0 feet, M u e lle r ; mountains o f N ew Zealand.
A small, densely matted, creeping species, with stout, much branched, spreading, prostrate, often flexuose,
densely leafy branches, the younger pubescent. Leaves very thick and coriaceous, bright gi-een and shining, shortly
petiolate, linear or elliptic-obovate or lanceolate, sharp or blunt, 4 -^ inch long, mai-gins recurved, the petioles
connate with the stipides at the base, and fonning together a sheath. Flowers solitaiy, sessile. Calyx-lobes veiy
short. Corolla nearly as long as the leaves, tubular, curved, four-cleft at the mouth. Stamens very much exserted,
with long, pendulous anthers, hooked at the apex. Berries red, two-celled, two-seeded,
Gen. 11. O P E R C U L A R IA , A . Rich .
Flores dioici v . hermaphroditi, in capitula globosa concreti. Calycis limbus 3 -4 -lo b u s . Corolla iu-
fundibuliformis v. carapanulata, 3 -5 -fid a . S tam in a 1 - 5 . S ty li 2, e longati, per totam lon gitu d in em püoso-
stigmatiferi. Ovaria 2-locularia, locu lis 1-ovulatis. B a c c a in capitulum concretæ, biloculares, loculis
dispermis, lobis calycinis pe rsistentibus co ron a te. Semina solitaria, oblonga, dorso convexa, facie 3-jugata.
— Herbæ basi su ffm ticu lo sa ; foliis u trin qu e s tip u la tis ; capitulis te rm in alibu s v. e a x illis ramulorum se ssilibu
s p e d u n cu la tisv e ; iuvolucro gen e ra li n u llo v. e s tip u lis fo liis q u e p a r v is concreto, p a r t ia l i gamophyllo,
8 - \9 - d e n ta to .
A remarkable genus, which, together with another Australian genus {Fornax), has heen placed in a tribe of
Rubiacea, at the end of the Order, hut which I consider as appertaining to Anthospermea. About twenty species
are known, o f which more than half are natives o f South-western Australia and the remainder of South-eastern,
none being tropical.— Herbs, with the stems often shrubby at the base. Branches erect or prostrate, slender,
sparingly branched. Leaves opposite, with iuteipetiolar stipules. Flowers hermaphrodite or dioecious, collected
into sessile or peduncled, ¿ivolucrate capitula. Calyces confluent below, each with a three- or four-toothed limb.
Corolla campanulate or funnel-shaped, three- to five-lobed. Stamens with long filaments and oblong anthers.
Styles two, elongated, exserted, covered with stigmatic hairs. Fruits aggregated into a fleshy mass by the cohesion
of the bases o f the tubes of the calyces, their upper parts often separating hke an operculum ; two-celled, cells
one-seeded. Seeds oblong, plano-convex, with three prominent ridges on the innei- face. (Name fi-om operculum,
a lid ; in aUusion to the dehiscence o f the fi-uits.)
1. Opercularia ovata (H o ok . fil. in Lond. Journ. B o t. vi. 4 6 5 ) ; glabriuscula, ramosa, ramis grac
ilibus prostratis asceudentibusve subflaccidis glabris, foliis petiolatis ovatis obtusis subacutisve ciliatis utriii-
que glabratis parce pilosisve submembranaceis, capitulis axillaribus breviter pedunculatis, fioribus herma-
phroditis (dioicisve) 3 -4 -a n d r is, calycis lob is 3 oblongis ciliatis, corolla infundibuhformi, filamentis stylisque
lon g e exsertis, baccis infra medium inter se et cum involucro coalitis. {Gunn, 7 8 .) ( T a b . X X X V I I I .)
H a b . Launceston, on stiff clay soil, Gunn.— (El. N o v ., De c .)
D i s t k i b . Victoria, M u e lle r, Robertson.
MHiole plant stinking abominably when braised, forming patches from a few inches to a square foot broad.
— Stems numerous, slender, spreadmg, prostrate or ascending, 3 -6 inches long, branched, leafy. Leaves -J—f inch
long, shortly petioled, ovate, oblong-ovate, or lanceolate, subacute. Flowers dioecious according to Guiin, but
decidedly hemaphrodite in some of my specimens, united by the bases of their calyces, together with the involucre,
iuto a shortly peduncled axillary capitulum. Calyx-lobes three, ciliate, erect. Corolla funnel-shaped, four-
lobed. Styles and filaments long, exserted.— P l a t e X XXVIII. A . flowering, and B. fruiting specimens. Fig. ] ,
capituhun; 2, corolla and limb o f calyx; 3, head o f fruits; 4, longitudinal section o f part of a frait; 5 aud 6,
seeds :— a ll magnified.
2 . Opercularia varia (H o ok . fil. in Lond. J o um . B o t. vi. 4 6 6 ) ; pusilla, hispido-pilosa v. glabrata,
caulibus e radice lign o sa perplurimis gracilibus erectis decumbentibusve angulatis, foliis parvis brevissime
petiolatis rigide coriaceis linearibus lineari-oblongis ovatisve obtusis acutisve utrinque hispido-pilosis scabridis
lævibusve, vaginis brevissimis, capitulis axillaribus breviter pedunculatis, corolla late infundibuliformi
calycis lobis subulatis æquilonga, staminibus 2 .
Var. a . h is p id u la ; foliis majoribus scaberulis linear i-oblongis obtusis, ramis diffusis.
Var. f l. s c a b r id a ; hispido-pilosa, foliis ovatis oblongisve obtusis, ramis suberectis diffusisve. {Gunn,
Var. 7 . I, nitida, foliis linearibus acutis, ramis ascendentibus acutisve.
H a b . V ery common in dry, ston y places throughout th e Colony.— (F l. N o v .) {v. v.)
D i s t r i b . S outh-eastern Australia.
A smaller species than 0 . ovata, equally offensive in smell, with much narrower leaves ; smooth, scabrid, liispid,
or pilose.— Stems very numerous ft-om the root, slender, branched, erect, ascending or prostrate, 2 -6 inches long.
Leaves generally linear, rigidly coriaceous. Flowers in small axillaiy heads. Cafyar-lobes subulate, as long as the
short ftinnel-shaped coroUa. Stamens two.— This is a very variable species,
Gen. I I I . N E R T E R A , B a n h e t Sol.
Flores hermaphroditi. Calycis tub u s o v oideus; limbus truncatus v . obscure 4-d en tatu s. Corolla
tu b u losa V. infundibuliformis, 4-lob a . S tam in a 4-, filamenta basi corollæ inserta ; antheris lon g e exsertis.
O vanum 2-locu lar e; loculis 1-ovulatis. S ty li 2, elongati, undique piloso-stigmatiferi. Dacca rotundata,
carnosa, d icocca; coccis coriaceis, 1-sperrais. Semina plano-convexa, in tu s sulcata.— Herbæ p a r v a , rep
e n te s ; foliis sempervirentibus ; stipulis in tr a fo lia cm ; floribus a x illa rih u s, subsessilibus.
This little genus is placed in the Ti-ibe Guettardea by De CandoUe, but is, I think, imdouhtecUy closely aUiecl
to Coprosma, from which it scarcely differs, except in the hermaphrodite flowers, and. coriaceous cocci iu tlie b en y ;
there are several species, chiefly natives of New Zealand. (Name from veprepo?, lowly; in aUusion to the habit of
growth.)
1. Nertera depressa (Banks e t Sol. in Gærtn. Eruct. i. 1 2 4 . t. 2 6 ) ; glaberrima, caule repente,
ramulis suberectis v. deraissis, foliis petiolatis late ovatis acutis, calycibus ovariisque glaberrimis.— DC.