obscurity, pai-tly oiving to these speeies haviug been early imported into all the temperate quarters of the globe aud
becoming speedily naturalized; partly to their being truly indigenous in some of the south-temperate parts o f the
globe, to which they have also heen imported by m an ; and most o f all to the differences of opinion that exist as
to what are species and what varieties amougst them, and which are enhanced greatly in the case of dried specimens.
Thus in New Zealand the two forms or species, SoncJms oleraceus and S. asper, are both native, and the
S. oleraceus has also been imported from Europe; and it is a curious fact, that the natives who used to eat the wild form
of the plant have latterly given up its use, preferring the introduced. Tt still however remains to be proved whether
the \rild New Zealand species does not attach itself to cultivated places, and hence may not on some occasions be
assumed to be introduced. These are points requiring the greatest care in investigation, and that observations should
be made at mauy remote parts o f the Colony. In Tasmania only one native form o f Sonchus appears, differing from
both S. oleraceus and S. asper in the form, etc., of the achenium, an organ wliich is so variable in the genus that I
hesitate to foimd a new species upon its Tasmanian modification. The S. asper itself, and the Em-opean foi-m of
S. oleraceus, are also found both in South-east and South-west Austraha, but whether indigenous or introduced I
canuot say. Mr. Mueller distinguishes two at Y’ictoria as S. olei-aceus and S. a^ e r, and says that though I have united
these speeies in the ‘ N ew Zealand Flora,’ the Victoria specimens are perfectly distinct, and that besides the constant
differences in their fruit, they differ in the shape and size of the leaves, and in the internal stmcture o f the stem. These
characters ai-e however not so constant as Mr. Mueller supposes, the fruit especially being extremely variable, and presenting
many intermediate modifications; whilst the stems and foliage present great diversities o f size, form, consistence,
and internal structm-e in very many of the species o f Liguhflorous Compositce. I f such common plants as Sonchus
asper and oleraceus were really always distinguishable, it must have been proved long ago, and botanists would not
have requu-ed a century to make up their minds about th em ; whereas from the days of Linnasus to the present
opinions are divided upon the subject. I t appears to me to be a matter of little importance whether we caU such
varying, closely alhed forms, species or varieties, so long as they are properly discriminated. Only one other
Sonchus has been found in Australia, near Port Macquanie, o f wliich I have seen an indifferent specimen.— The
Tasmaniau Sonchus is a tall, smooth, branching or simple, leafy, succulent, milky herb, ivith a hollow (?) gi-ooved
stem, and subumbellate corymbs of yellow heads; it varies extremely in size and habit, from 6 inches to 2 feet
high, and in the form and cutting o f the fobage. Leaves ovate-oblong or Iinear-oblong, petiolate or sessile, entire,
sinuate aud irregularly toothed, or runcinate-pinnatifid, with large or small toothed lobes, sometimes quite linear-
elongated and sessile and acuminate, with waved spinulose margms, in others broadly oblong, deltoid, or fiddleshaped,
with a long winged petiole; cauline leaves clasping the stem, with broad auricles. Involucral scales in
several series. Beads yellow, | - 1 4 inch across, o f many hgulate florets. Receptacle smooth. Pappus o f many
series o f simple, white, soft hairs. Achenium oblong, blunt at both ends, compressed, broadly winged, the disc
gi-ooved aud ribbed. (Name fi-om cro/t<i>os, hollow, in allusion to the hollow stem s; o-oyxos in Greek.)
A d d itio n a l Observations on ihe Tasmanian Compositce.
E ükybia capitellata (DC. Prodi-. v. 266).— This is mentioned by Sonder (Linnæa, xxv. 456) as having been
found in Tasmama by Stuart. According to D e Candolle it differs from E. axillaris in the pediceUed capitula.
E ukybia ciliata (Benth. ; see Sonder in Linnæa, xxv. 458).
E urybia Gunniana (DC.). Sonder (Linnæa, xxv. 460) has weU discussed the question o f the value o f the
double and single pappus o f Olearia and Eurybia, and has further reduced E . quercifolia, Cass., and Olearia phlo-
gopappa, DC. {Aster phlogopappus, Lab.), to E. Gunniana; that able author has also reduced Astei' stellulatus,
Lab., to E. fu lvida, Cass., and suggested its being a variety of E. Gunniana.
E urybia linifolia is referred by Sonder to Lindley’s E. ylutinosa (Bot. Reg. N. S. xii. Mise, 68). and is said
to differ from E. glutescens (Sonder, Linnæa, 1. c.) in the striated, not angled, branches, narrower, shorter, not scabrid
leaves, corymbs much longer thau the leaves, and pubescent, eglandular achenia. I find however that these
characters are insufficient to distinguish the two, as my description of the Tasmanian plant shows.
E u r y b ia ericoides (p. 180).— This, according to Sonder, is not the plant o f Steetz, but is a n ew species described
by the former author as E. Hookeri.
E u r y b ia scabra (Benth. En, P I . Hügel. ; Sonder, in Linnæa, xxv. 4 5 7 ) is described as a Tasmanian species,
found by Bauer, and preserved in the Vienna Herbarium, but I have seen no specimens.
E u r y b io p s is scabrida and E. gracilis {see pp. 181, 182), under Vittadinia scabra and cuneata, are both refen
ed hy Sonder to forms o f Eurybiopsis Hookeri, MueU. MSS., along witb Eurybia cuneifolia (Walpers in Linnæa,
xiv. 316), Aster Behrii (Schldl. in Linnæa, xxi. 446).
B r a c h y c o m e pumila, Walp. (p. 186), is referred by Sonder to Lagenophora latifolia, H.f.
C o t u l a australis, H.f. (p. 191), add to the synonyms Pleiogyne australis, Carl Koch, in Schldl. and Mohl,
Bot, Zeit, i. 4 0 ; Sonder, in Linnæa, xxv. 484.
L e p t in e l l a longipes, H.f. (p. 1 9 3 ), is Pleiogyne reptans, C. Koch, 1. c., and Strongylosperma reptans, Benth.
En. PI, Hüg. 60, according to Sonder.
L e p t in e l l a intricata, var. ß . muUifida, H.f. (p. 1 9 4 ).—This is Pleiogyne multifida, Sonder in Linnæa, 1. c.
R a o u l ia catipes, f o r Tab. LXI. A ., read LVIII. A .
P t e r y q o p a p p u s Lawrencii, f o r Tab. LXI. B ., read LVIII. B.
N a t . O r d . X L III. BRUNONIACEÆ.
Gen. I . B R U N O N IA , Sm.
Capitulum involucratum. C a lyx 5-fidus, 4-bracteatus, laciniis plumosis. Corolla monopetala, infun-
dibuliformis ; limbo 5-par tito, laciniis 2 superioribus altius divisis. S tam in a 5 , hypogyna. Antheroe con-
uatæ. Ovarium monospermum. S tigm a tis indusium bivalve. Fructus utriculus, calycis tu b o indurato
inc lusus. Semen erectum, exalbuminosura.— Herbæ se ric ea v . pubescentes, scapigeræ ; foliis radicalibu s
sp a th u la tis ; scapis in d iv isis, monocephalis ; capitulo hemisphærico, lobato, lobis bractea fo liá c e a subtensis ;
corolla azurea, marcescens.
1 . B r u n o n ia a u s t r a l i s (Br. Prodr. 5 9 0 ) ; foliis undique scapisque infra patentim villosis, calycis
lobis longitudinalite r plumosis apice acutis.— Smith in L in n . Trans, x . t. 2 8 . {Gunn, 1 0 9 .)
H a b . Common in dry pastures in several parts o f the Colony, bu t local, as at Launceston, Bagdad,
etc.— (PL O ct., N o v .)
Disteib. Extratropical Australia: N ew South YTales, Victoria, South Australia, and Swan River.
Of this genus, the only one of the Natural Order to ivhich it belongs, there are at least three species peculiar
to Australia, including Tasmania ; one is tropical, and a third confined to Swan River. As an Order it is
allied to Compositce and Goodenovice, differing much from hoth. The only Tasmanian species is a perennial-rooted,
viUous or silky herb, with spathulate, radical leaves, slerider scapes, terminated by one bracteate head o f small,
azure blue (rarely white) floivers.— Leaves 2 -4 inches long, narrow. Scape 6 -1 2 inches high, slender, unbranched.
Heads hemispherical, as lai-ge as a nut, lobed ; outer bracts or involucral scales broad, sUky, appressed, each lobe
with a separate bract like the outer ones. Flowei-s each ivitli five searious bractlets. Calyx-ixibe verj- short, silky,
its five lohes very narrow, feathery, with long, silky hairs. Corolla ftmncl-shaped, with a slender, split tube, very
silky externally, and five linear-oblong, spreading, unequal lobes. Stamens five, hypogynous, with connate anthers.
Ovary onc-ceUcd, with one erect, anatropous ovule. Style cyhiith-ical. Stigma a minute, fleshy, blunt point, seated
at the base of a tivo-lipped cup. Fruit a utriculus, siu-rounded by the hardened calyx-tube, which latter is crowned
VOL. I. 3 N