plurimæ ( 8 - 2 0 ) , imbricatæ, supra u n gn em toro transverso (squama ovulifera v. ovario operto adnato) in -
crassatæ. O m la in quavis squama 3 - 6 , toro inserta, pendula, orthotropa, alata, apice emarginata, breviter
tubulosa. S troU lu s su b g lo b o su s; squamis su b lign e is, imbricatis. Semina iu quavis squama 3 - 6 v. pauciora,
ovata, compressa, h ilo transverse lin ea r i; testa crustácea, late alata; embryo cylindricus, albumine
parco immersus, cotyled on ib u s 2 .— Arbores sem pervirentes, e re c ta v. dep re ssa ; raraìs c y lin d r ic is ; foliis
su h u laû s, a re te v . la x e im b ric a tis, hasi d e cu rren te -a d n a tis ; g em m is nudis.
A small genus, confiued to the mountains of Tasmania.— S tem erect or depressed, branched ; branches covered
with imbricating, subidate ov triangular leaves. Flowers monoecious. Male cones small, with many imbricatmg
stamens, each formed o f a slender stipes, expanding into a transverse, peltate disc, from wliicli the two antlier-eeUs
hang. Folien spherical and depressed. Female cones terminal, iieaily globose, o f numerous (ten to twenty) imbricating
scales, having a thickened, broad disc, from which tlu-ee to six ovules hang ; the ovules are compressed,
almost iviiiged, notched at both ends, and point downwai-ds and inwards towards the axis of the cone. Cone w oody,
globose. Seales spreading, each rhomboid, with three to six winged seeds. The main body of the scale is here a
bract, and the broad disc on its face is the adnate, open ovary, or ovuliferous scale. (Name from aOpos, crowded,
and Tttlts, order ; in allusion to the crowded scales o f the cone.)
1. A thro ta x is cupressoides (D o n in L in n . Trans, x viii. 172. t. 13. f. 2) ; foliis arctissime imbricatis
la te rhombeo-ovatis obtusis appressis obtuse carin-atis, antherarum conne ctivo e lliptico obtuso, strobili
squamis 10-12, seminibus 3.— Hook. I c . P I . 559 {excl. sem in a ? ) ; Nob. in Lon d . J o um . B o t. iv. 149;
E n d l. S yn . Conif. 196. Cunninghamia cupressoides, Sieh. e t Zucc. F l. J a p . ii. 9 in not. {Gunn, 365.)
H a b . Lak e St. Clair, P in e River, near Marlborough, and W e stern Mountains, Gunn, e tc.— (PL D e c .)
(v . V.) (Cultivated in E ngland.)
A conical tree, 2 0 -4 5 feet high {Arclter), with a tnmk sometimes 15 feet in girth at 3^ feet above the ground.
Branches ascending, with spreading, distichous branchlets, deusely covered udth closely imbricating leaves, obscurely
qiiadi-ifarious ; the branches, together with the leaves, are about i iuch diameter, and narrower than in either of
the following species. Leaves minutely cUiated, rhomboid-ovate, blunt, bluntly keeled. Cones about as large as a
hazel-nut, generally cemuous. Scales closely imbricating, with a short dorsal rostnun. Seeds quadrate or nearly
orbicular, with thick, spongy wings.
2. Athro ta x is selaginoid es (D o n in L in n . Trans, x v iii. 172. t. 14); ramis robustis, foliis u ndi-
q ue imbricatis la x iu scu lis incurvis subulato-lanceolatis acuminatis dorso convexis carinatis, antherarum connec
tivo e llip tico acuto, strobilis ovato-globosis, squamis 20-24 abrupte acuminatis, seminibus 6.— Hook.
Ic . P I . t. 574 ; E n d l. S yn . Conif. 194. Cunninghamia selaginoides, Sieb. e t Zucc. F l. J a p . ii. 9 in not.
58.)
H a b . F a lls o f th e Meander, and other r ivulets on th e W e s t em Mountains, Cumming’s Head, e tc.,
Gunn, Archer.— (FL J an .) (Cultivated in E n g lan d .)
A tree, attaining 45 feet in height {Archer), with stout, much distichously divided branches, covered with
rather lax, incui-ved, subulate or lanceolate-subulate, acuminated leaves, which are imbricated all round, J inch long
in young specimens, broader and i inch long in mature ones, convex and obscurely keeled at the baek. Cones globose,
rather pointed, with about twenty to twcnty-fom- scales, each with an acuminate point. Seeds with a broad,
membranous wing.
I have a solitary scrap of w hat is either this or a new species, collected on the Huon River, and sent by Mr.
Backhouse; tbe leaves are much laxer and less numerous, but otherwise the same.
3 . Athro ta x is la x ifo lia (H o ok . I c . PL t. 5 7 3 ) ; ramis tenuibus, foliis laxe imbricatis erecto-incurvis
ovato-lanceolatis acutis dorso convexis carinatis, strobilis ovato-globosis, squamis su b -1 5 acuminatis, semi-
369*) A b i. ix L o n i. Journ. B o t. iv. 1 4 9 ; E n i l . Syn. Conif. 1 9 6 . {Gunn,
H a b . Falls o f th e Meander Eiver, and other rivulets neat the summit o f th e W e ste rn Mountains,
Gunn, A rch er.— (FL Jan.)
A smaU tree, 3 5 -3 0 feet high {Archer). Veiy similar in character to A . cupressoides, from which it differs
chiefly in the loosely imbricated, longer leaves; the cones and seeds are more similar to those of A . selaginoides; it
is 111 many respects intermediate between the two previously-described species, and possibly only a variety of the
latter plant.
G en. IY . P H E R O S PHÆ R A , Archer.
. ^ M o re s dioici. M a s c . Amenta, parva, globosa v. oblongo-cjlindraeea. S tam in a imbricata, subsessilia,
axi in se rta; antherarum locu lis 2 , connectivo squamæformi transverse oblongo latioribus, extu s deorsnm
hian tib u s; pollen depressum, trigonum, angulis globoso-inflatis opacis, v . oblongum, curvum, apicibus in-
flatis opacis. F o iji. Am en ta parva, ovata. Squamae (ovaria aperta) su b -1 2 , laxe imbricatæ, navicnlares,
ovatæ, ooncavæ, apice incurvo decidnæ. O tu lum prope basin squamæ solitarium, globosum, inversnm,
foramine late aperto. Semina solitaria, immatura erecta, a dorso valde compressa, late ovata, utrinque
a lata?, basi subcordata.— Frutex p r o s tr a tu s ? , ram o su s; ra a à s f a s liy ia tim ram o sissim is: ramulis an gu latis,
cum f o l i i s a retissim e im b rica tis nix 1 Un. la t i s ; foliis ramulo a ppre ssis, su h -\ lin . longis, la te tria n g u la ri-
o v a tis, obtusis, trig on is, obtuse ca rin a tis, marginibus c ilio la tis ; amentis masculis terminalibus, f e r e globosis,
ram u lis p a u lo la tio ribu s, f la v is ; squamis anth e ra rum /e r e duplo la tio ribu s quam la tis , apice o btu so; amenti!
foemineis termirmlihus, d e cu r v is ; squamis sub-8, 1 tin . longis, v irid ibu s.
1 . Pherosphæra Hookeriana (Archer in Lond. Jonrn. B o t. ii. 5 2 in part, quoad sy n .).— Micro-
cacbrys tetragona 2 , Nob. in L on d. J o u n . B o t. 1 5 0 , »on Athrotaxis ? tetragona, f i j o L l e . P I t 5 6 0
(T a b . X C IX .)
H a b . Mountains near Lak e St. Clair, (?»»».— (F l. Jan.)
The extraordinary similarity between the branclilets of this plant and tbe Dacrydium Iran klin ii, together with
its having been sent to me mixed with specimens o t Microeachrys tetragona and Diselma Jre lieri, has led to great
confusion, and to mneh doubt on my part how to dispose o f the synonymy of some of the Tasmanian Ooibfeps,
without leading to a further complication. In 1843 was published, in Hooker’s ■ leones Plantaram,’ Gnnn’s numhe!
367 (erroneously quoted as 369), under the nosae o! Athrotaxis ? telrayona ; of this few specimens were received ;
they had no female dowers, but the males so entirely resembled those of an Athrotaxis, that it was referred to that
genns douhtfnlly. In 1843 Gumi sent more male specimens o f the same plant, mixed with another, which latter
he assumed to be its female dowers , and these, differing enlirely from those o f an Athrotaxis, I described imder the
name of Microcachrys tetragona. My genus Microcachrys therefore consists of male Athrotaxis ? tetragona. Hook.,
and the female o f another plant. In 184 7 , Ml-. Archer, having fonnd the true female o t A throtaxis? tetragon?.
Hook., and perceiving that it was neither that ot an Athrotaxie, nor agreed with my description o f the temal!
flower of microcachrys, described it as a new geuus, and caffed it Phero'sphxra Hookeriana (In allusion to Its orbicular
ovules), under which he quoted Athrotaxis ? tetragona. Hook., and Microcachrys tetragona ¿ , Hook. fil. At
the same time Mr. Archer discovered a third gemis of these Micro-coiiifers, and en-oneoiisly assuming it to be what
I had described as Microcachrys tetragona } , transfers that name to it. Lastly, at a slfll k le r period I received
from Gunn line male and female specimens of the original Athrotaxis? tetragona, Hook., immbcred 367, and under
the same niinibcr male and female specimens of the plant Archer had refen-ed to my Miarocaehrys, but no more
specimens of the plant whose female dowers I origiiiany oonfoiiiided with Athrotaxis, and published as Micro-
cachiys.
Fortunately Mr. Archer, being now in England, has kindly aided me in clearing np this contused matter, and