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P L A T E DCIII.
COMMERSONIA DASYPPJYLLA.
Hairy-leaved Commersonia.
CLASS V. ORDER V.
PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNI^. Five Chives. Five Pointals.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
CALTX monophyllus 5-partitus. Petala 5 linearia
basi sublobata, apice inflexa. Nectarium
5-partitum. Filamenta ad basin petalorurn,
brevissima. Germen subglobosum.
Styli erecti. Stigmata capitata. Capsula
dura, setosa, 5-locularis, 5-valvis, loculis
2—4-spermis,
EMPALEMENT of one leaf ¿-parted. Petals 5,
linear, commonly lobed at the base, turned
in at tlie point. Nectary S-parted. Threads
at the base of the petals, very short. Seedbud
nearly round. Styles erect with their
summits headed. Capsule hard, bristly,
with 5 cells and 5 valves, the cells from 2-
to 4-seeded.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
COMMEKSONIA foliis eloDgato-cordatis inoequaliter
serratis supra subtusque hirsutis.
COMMERSONIA with long heart-shaped unequally
toothed leaves hairy on both sides.
REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.
1. Empalement, chives and pointals, magnified.
COMMERSONIA dasyphylla is a low branching shrub, a native of New Holland or Van Diemen's Land,
and is remarkable for a powerful odour of cucumbers which it emits when in blossom, and even retains
for some time after it is dried. Being a plant which blossoms freely in early spring, and of very
easy culture, it well deserves a place in the green-house or conservatory. Only one species of Commersonia
has before flowered in England, the C. echinata of our last volume (Plate SI9), but which
has since been discovered to be a different species from the original C. echinata of Forster; which error
we take the present opportunity of correcting, and beg of our readers to erase the name echinata in our
519th plate and description, and substitute platyphylla, with the following specific description :
COMMERSONIA platyphylla, foliis elongato-cordatis
dentatis, supra stellato-hispidulis, subtus
hirsutis, mollibus.
BKOAD-LEAVED Commersonia with toothed leaves
of a long heart-shape, a little rough with
star-like bristles on the upper sidej. haii'y
and soft below.
Another nondescript Commersonia from Van Diemen's Land is now in our gardens, but has not yet
blossomed; and we have seen dried specimens of a fifth species brought from New Holland by tlie lale
Governor King, in the collection of A. B. Lambert, esq.
W e were favoured with the specimen of C. dasyphylla by Mr. Milne, from Fonthill, last April.
The plant is at present in very few collections, and has not, we believe, yet blossomed any where elso
in England.
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