we have together come to tlie conclusion, that it will create the least perplexity to retain the name Microcachys
tetragona for the plant figm-ed originally as Athrotaxis ? tetragona, and whose male flowers I originally described as
Mic ro ca ch y s; its small, regularly formed cone renders the name very applicable. The name Fhei-osphcei-a we
transfer to the plant whose female fiowers I confounded with Microcachrys, and whose male flowers being collected
into abnost globose amenta, will justify the appellation; aud for the plant which Mr. Archer supposed to be my
female Microcachrys, we propose the name Diselma, in aUusion to the two ovuliferous scales. I have in this matter
to express further my obligation to i l r . Archer, both for his assistance ui settUng the synonjiny, and for some very
valuable notes and observations upon the pollen and ovules, etc., of many o f the Tasmanian Conifers, made upon
living specimens. I may add that tbe Diselma and Microcachy s have quadrifarious branches, and are aU but
uudistinguishable, except by their female flowers; the branchlets o f Dacrydium Franklinii and Fherosphara
Hookeriana, which have less regularly imbricated leaves, are also almost undistiuguisbable when not in flower.
I have no description o f the habit, etc., o f Pherosphara, whicb, from being mixed with Microcachrys, is probably
a prostrate plant. The branches arc slender, very much branched, and the leaves slightly compressed on
each side o f the keel, Male cone broader tban the branchlet; stamens Uke those o f Athrotaxis. Female cones
decurved, smaU, o f six to eight boat-shaped, deciduous scales, each bearing a solitaiy ovule, with two complete
integuments.— P l a t e XCIX. A , male, and B, female p lants; 1 and 3, fl-ont and back view o f leaves; 3, male
cone; 4 aud 5, stamens; 6, pollen; 7, female con e ; 8, scales and immature se ed s; 9, scale, with ovu le ; 10, ditto,
with unripe seed; 11, ovule; 12, the same, with the outer integuments cut open; 13 and 14, fuUy foi-med, immature
se ed s; 1 5 , the same, cut longitudinaUy :— all very highly magnified.
G en. V . PO D O C A R PU S , L ’H é r it.
Flores dioici, rarius monoici. M a s c . Amenta terminalia v. axillaria, solitaria v. in p edúnculo communi
spicata, basi bracteata. S tam in a plurima, stipite b revissim o; a n th eris 2-locularibus, conne ctivo squamæformi,
lo cu lis marginalibus extrorsum dehiscentibus. F o lien curvatum. P l . f cem . sp ica ti; spica 1-2-flora.
Ovulum solitarium, infra apicem squamæ sessile, inversum, cum squama lon g itudinalite r adnatum. Semen
inversnm, tegum en to exteriore carnoso cum squama adnato, interiore osseo. Embryo in apice albuminis
farinacei an titrop u s; cotyledonibus 2 brevibus.— Frú tic e s arbores; foliis a ltem is , d istich is imbricatisv e ,
ra riu s oppositis, p le rum qu e d im o rp h is ; g em m is p e ru la tis .
1 . Podocarpus alpina (Br. ex Mirbel in Mem. Mus. x iii. 7 5 ) ; foliis subdistichis v. undique in sertis
brevissime petiolatis linearibus lineari-oblongisve obtusis subtus glaucis eosta marginibusque incras-
satis, ament, masc. solitariis subfasciculatisve, foliis subæquilongis, connectivo apice in cornu producto,
drupa parva, pedúnculo carnoso apice inæqualiter oblique bifido.— B en n e tt, in Horsfield, P la n t. J a v . B a r.
4 0 ; Nob. in Lon d . Journ. B o t. iv . 1 5 0 ; E n d lich e r, S yn . Conif. 2 1 4 . [Gunn, 2 2 6 .)
Var. f l. L aw ren c ii ; foliis acuminatis pun gen tib u s.— P . Lawrencii, Nob. in L on d. Journ. B o t. iv . 1 5 1 .
H a b . Mountainous localities, elev. 3 - 4 0 0 0 f e e t : Mou n t YVellington, Marlborough, YVestern Mou n tains,
e tc .— (F l. Jan.) [v . v .) Var. f l. River Mersey, near Mou n t Go g , L awrence, Archer.
D i s t r i b . A lp s o f Victoria, Mou n ts Bulle r and Hotham, M u e lle r. (Cultivated in E ngland.)
Generally a small straggling bush, but sometimes rising to a tree 13 feet high [Archer). Branches spreading.
F a v e s inserted all round the stem, or obscurely bifarious, spreading, often somewhat recurved, linear or Iinear-
oblong, obtuse, acuminate in var. fl, J inch long, tapering to a very short petiole, glaucous beneath, w itli very thick
margins and costa. Male spikes cylindrical, scarcely so long as the leaves, sessile, solitary or fascicled. Pollen-gr&ins
curved. Drupe small, two lines long, elliptical, seated on or towards the apex o f one fork of a bifid, fleshy, scarlet,
subcylindi-ic peduncle, which is larger than the drape, and consists of several fleshy bracts adnate to the swollen
peduncle.— This is most nearly allied to the New Zealand F. nivalis. Hook., which differs in its blunt connectivum.
Mr. Archer agrees with me in considering that P . Lawrencii is only a variety o f P . alpina, whence it becomes
doubtful whether P . alpina should not be considered the alpine form of P. Lawrencii. {Name fi-om 7T0VS, a foot,
and Kopitos, f r u it ; in allusion to the swollen peduncle of the fruit.)
Gen. V I . D A C R Y D IUM , B a n k s e t Sol.
F lores dioici. M a s c . Am en ta terminalia, solitaria, sessilia v. basi bracteata. S tam in a plurima, axi
inserta, stipitibus b r evissimis; a n th eris 2-locularibus, conne ctivo dilatato, locu lis oppositis extrorsum deh isc
entibus. F o lien curvum. Fcem. Squama terminales, sohtariæ v . laxe in spicam dispositæ. Ovulum so litarium,
apicem versus squamæ sessile , inversum, integum en to exteriore la x o , abbreviato, interiore in coilum
breve producto. Semen tándem erectum, squamæ insidens, integumento exteriore basi cin cto, integumento
interiore laxo carnoso v. coriáceo ore lato liiante, intim o osseo. Embryo in apice albuminis farinacei v. gran
ulos! antitropus.— Arbores v. ra riu s frutices ; fo liis acerosis, undique im b rica tis v . q u a d r'fa riam arciissirne
im b rica tis, trian gu la ribu s, squamæformibus e t ram u lis ap p re ssis ; gemmis nudis.
The few species known o f this genus are natives o f New Zealand, where three species have been detected, and
several inhabit Polynesia and the Malayan peninsula and islands. Most are large trees, -with naiTow, acerose leaves ;
but the Huon K n e and some others have triangular, rhomboid, minute, quadrifarious leaves appressed to the
branches. The genus is distinguished by tlie terminal sessile male cones o f biloeular anthers, like tliose of Athro-
taxis : and by the female flowers consisting of a minute, solitary, terminal scale, or several scales arranged in a
loose spike; each scale bears a solitary, inverse ovule, whicb, as it advances to the mature seed, turns up and becomes
erect, with a thin outer coat, and crustaceous or osseous inner one. The seed is girt at the base by a shallow,
oblique, cup-shaped disc; tbis is the outer coat of the ovule, which does not enlarge, as the ovule advances to maturity,
so as to form a covering to it. (Name fi-om BaKpvç, a tear ; in allusion to the weeping habit of the speeies.)
1 . Dacrydium F ranklin ii (N o b . in L on d . J o um . B o t. iv. 1 5 2 . t. 6 ) ; elatum, ramulis pendulis
una cam foliis filiformibus, foliis dense quadrifariam imbricatis rhombeo-ovatis subacutis dorso carinatis,
ament, foem. decurvis spicæformibus, squamis m inutis remotis, semine erecto ovato compresso.— E n d l. Syn.
Con. 2 2 7 . [Gm m , 1 2 4 8 .) (T a b . C. A .)
H a b . S outhe rn and western coasts o f the Island : Hu on River, Ylacquarrie Harbour, e tc ., A . Cunningham.—
(F l. Jan.) Colonial name, “ H u on P in e .” (Cultivated in England.)
This is perhaps the most local of all the Coniferæ whose wood has been turned to much account, being confined
in its distribution to the south-west quai-ter of Tasmania, and I believe wholly to the watersheds o f the Huon
and Gordon Rivers, where it occurs abiuidantly. It forms a tall, straight, pyramidal tree, 8 0 -1 0 0 feet high, and
1 0 -3 0 in girth at the base. Wood beautiful, close-grained, and very well adapted for planking and boat-buildiii?.
Branches spreading; branchlets pensile, much dirided, almost quadrifarious, from being deusely covered witli the
minute, ovate, rhomboid, shai-ply-keeied leaves, eacli about i hue long. Male cones cylindric; females minute,
curved, terminal spikes, containing four to eight minute adherent scales, ou each of which is seated a sessile
oi'ule, whose outer integument is abbreviated, and the apex of the iuuer is exserted, and points to the jjecluncle of
the spike. Ou ripening, the fruit becomes erect, and the outer integiunent also eidarges a little, forming a cup that
embraces the lower part of the seed. Seed very minute, compressed dorsally, ovate, obtuse, with a bhmt apiculus;
outer coat or testa coriaceous, that next to it membranous, and closely applied to a crustaceous inner one. Albumen
granular, invested with a delicate hyaline membrane. Embryo not found in any of my specimens. In germinating
the llu ou Pine has two hnear, cotyledonary leaves, from which an axis ascends covered with imbricating
leaves exactly like those of the old plant.— P l a t e C. A . Fig. 1, male branch and cones; 2, male cone; 3 and 4,
back and front views of anthers; 5, poUeii; 6, female branch and cones; 7, female cone; 8, scale and ovule; 9,
longitudinal section of ditto; 10, 11, and 12, back, side, and front views o f fully formed seeds; 13, vertical section
o f ditto; 14, vertical section o f albumen; 15, leaf: 16, seedling plant; 17, cotyledonary leaves aud young
¡ixis :— all but figs. 1, 6, and 1C, highly magnified.