Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia Part 37

E. Cunninghamii.

c. Folia alterna; sepala breve unguiculata, eglandulosa; stamina inclusa.

Eremophila Mitch.e.l.li. Benth. in Mitch. trop. Austr. p. 31. Eremophila Sturtii.

d. Folia alterna glanduloso-tuberculata, sepala cuneato-obovata, sessilia, glandulosa.

E. alternifolia. Br. prodr. i. p. 518.

This last species might be separated from Eremophila; it is not however referable to Stenochilus, with some of whose species it nearly agrees in corolla, but from all of which it differs in its glandular scariose calyx.

20. EREMOPHILA (Sturtii), p.u.b.escens, foliis anguste linearibus apiculo recurvo, corollis extus p.u.b.escentibus limbo intus barbato, staminibus inclusis.

LOC. "On the Darling; flowers purplish, sweet-scented." D. Sturt.

DESC. Frutex orgyalis (D. Sturt.). Calyx 5-part.i.tus, aequalis; sepalis obovato-oblongis, basi angustioribus sed in unguem vix attenuatis, membranaceis, uninerviis, venosis. Corolla bil.a.b.i.ata, tubo amplo recto, labiis obtusis, extus p.u.b.escens, intus hinc (inferius) barbata. Labium superius tripart.i.tum; lobo medio bifido (e duobus conflato); laciniis omnibus obtusis; inferius obcordatum bilob.u.m lobis rotundatis, densius barbatum. Stamina quatuor didynama, omnino inclusa. Filamenta glabra.

Antherae reniformes, loculis apice confluentibus. Ovarium dense lanatum.

Stylus glaber. Stigma indivisum, apice styli vix cra.s.sius.

OBS. Species proxima E. Mitch.e.l.li Benth. in Mitch. Trop. Austr. p. 31.

21. STENOCHILUS longifolius. Br. prodr. i. p. 517. Stenochilus pubiflorus. Benth. in Mitch. trop. Aust. p. 273. Stenochilus salicinus.

Benth. in Mitch. trop. Austr. p. 251.

LOC. Nulla stationis indicatio.

22. STENOCHILUS maculatus, Ker in Bot. Regist. tab. 647. Cunningh. MSS.

1847.

b Stenochilus curvipes. Benth. in Mitch. trop. Austr. p. 221. Varietas S.

maculati, sepalorum ac.u.mine paulo breviore.

OBS. M. Alphonse De Candolle, in Prodr. xi. p. 715. refers S. ochroleucus of Cunningh. MSS. 1817, as a variety to S. maculatus; it is however very distinct, having a short erect peduncule like that of S. glaber, to which it is much more nearly related, differing chiefly in its being slightly p.u.b.escent.

23. GREVILLEA (EUGREVILLEA) Sturtii, foliis indivisis (nonnullis raro bifidis) auguste linearibus elongatis uninerviis: marginibus arcte revolutis, racemis oblongis cylindraceisve: rachi pedicellis perianthiisque inexpansis glutinoso-p.u.b.escentibus, ovario sessili, stylo glabro.

LOC. "On sand-hills in lat. 27 degrees S." D. Sturt.

DESC. Arbor 15-pedalis (Sturt.) Rami teretes, p.u.b.e arcte adpressa persistenti incani. Folia 6-10-pollices longa, vix tres lineas lata, subter p.u.b.escentia incana, super tandem glabrata. Thyrsus terminalis, 2-4 uncialis, rachi pedicellisque p.u.b.e erecta nec appressa secretione glutinosa intermista. Flores aurantiaci.

OBS. In the collection presented to the British Museum by Sir Thomas Mitch.e.l.l, of the plants of his last expedition, there is a very perfect specimen, in flower, of Grevillea Sturtii.

The following observations respecting the Grevilleae of the same collection may not be without interest.

Grevillea Mitch.e.l.lii, Hooker, in Mitch. Trop. Austr. p. 265, proves to be Gr. Chrysodendron, prodr. fl. Nov. Holl. p. 379, the specific name of which was not derived from the colour of the under surface of the leaves, which is, indeed, nearly white, but from the numerous orange-coloured racemes, rendering this tree conspicuous at a great distance.

Grevillea longistyla and G. juncea of the same narrative, both belong to that section of the genus which I have named Plagiopoda.

A single specimen, in most respects resembling Gr. longistyla, of which possibly it may be a variety, but which at least deserves notice, has all its leaves pinnatifid, instead of being undivided. It may be distinguished by the following character:--Grevillea (Plagiopoda) neglecta, foliis pinnatifidis subtus niveis; laciniis linearibus, stylis glabris.

A single specimen also exists of Grevillea (or Hakea) lorea, prodr. flor.

Nov. Holl. p. 380, but without fructification.

24. GREVILLEA (CYCLOPTERA?) lineata, foliis indivisis lineari-ens formibus enerviis subter striis decem paucioribus elevatis uniformibus interst.i.tia bis-terve lat.i.tudine superantibus, cicatrice insertionis latiore quam longa utrinque obtusa, racemis terminalibus alternis, pistillis semuncia brevioribus stigmate conico.

LOC. "It takes the place of the gum-tree (Eucalyptus) in the creeks about lat. 29 degrees 30 minutes S." D. Sturt.

OBS. It is difficult to distinguish this species, which, according to Captain Sturt, forms a tree about 20 feet in height, from Grevillea striata. I have endeavoured to do so in the above specific difference, contrasted with which the leaves of G. striata have always more than 10 striae, which are hardly twice the breadth of the p.u.b.escent interstices, and the cicatrices of whose leaves are longer than broad, and more or less acute, both above and below. This is a source of character which in the supplement to the Prodr. Florae Novae Hollandiae, I have employed in a few cases both in Grevillea and Hakea, but which I believe to be important, as it not only expresses a difference of form, but also in general of vascular arrangement.

25. PTILOTUS (latifolius) capitulis globosis, bracteis propriis calycem superantibus, foliis ovatis petiolatis.

LOC. "In lat. 26 degrees S."--D. Sturt.

DESC. Herba diffusa, ramosa, incana. Folia alterna, petiolata, lateovata, integerrima. Capitula ramos terminantia, solitaria vel duo approximata.

Bracteae laterales scariosae, sessiles, late ovatae, enerviae.

Perianthium; foliolis subaequalibus, lana implexa alba basi tectis, ante expansionem ungue nervoso tunc brevissimo, post anthesin laminam scariosam enervem fere aequante. Stamina 5 antherifera; filamenta basi in cyathulum edentulum connata. Antherae biloculares, loculis utrinque distinctis medio solum conjunctis. Ovarium monospermum, glabrum. Stylus filiformis, glaber. Stigma capitatum, parvum. Utriculus evalvis, ruptilis.

OBS. I was at first inclined to consider this plant as a genus distinct from Ptilotus, more, however, from the remarkable difference in habit than from any important distinction in the flower, for its character would have chiefly consisted in the great size of its lateral bracheae, and in the form of its antherae.

In a small collection formed during the voyage of Captains Wickham and Stokes, there is a plant very nearly related to, and perhaps not specifically distinct from Ptilotus latifolius, but having narrower leaves. It was found on one of the islands of Dampier's Archipelago.

26. NEURACHNE (paradoxa) glaberrima, culmo dichotomo, foliis rameis abbreviatis, fasciculis paucifloris, glumis perianthiisque imberbibus valvula exteriore cujusve floris septemnervia.

LOC. Nulla indicatio loci v. stationis, in Herbario. D. Sturt.

DESC. Gramen junceum, facie potius Cyperaceae cujusdam. Folia radicalia in specimine unico viso defuere; ramos subtendentia abbreviata, v.a.g.i.n.a aperta ipsum folium superante; floralia subspathiformia sed foliacea nec membranacea. Fasciculi pauciflori: spiculae c.u.m pedunculo brevissimo articulatae et solubiles, et subtensae bractea nervosa carinata ejusdem circiter longitudinis. Gluma bivalvis biflora, nervosa, acuta, mutica; valvulae subaequales septemnerviae; exterioris nervis tribus axin occupantibus sed distinctis reliquis per paria a marginibus et axilibus subaequidistantibus; interioris nervis aequidistantibus, externis margine approximatis. Perianthium inferius (exterius), bivalvis, neuter; valvula exterior septemnervis, exteriori glumae similis textura forma et longitudine; valvula interior (superior) angustior pauloque brevior, dinervis, nervis alatis marginibus veris latis induplicatis. Perianthium superius hermaphroditum, paulo brevius, pergamineo-membranaceum, nervis dilute viridibus; valvula exterior quinquenervis, acuta, concava; interior ejusdem fere longitudinis, dinervis. Stamina 3, filamentis linearibus. Ovarium oblongum, imberbe. Styli duo. Stigmata plumosa, pallida?

OBS. Neurachne paradoxa, founded on a single specimen, imperfect in its leaves and stem, but sufficiently complete in its parts of fructification, differs materially in habit from the original species, N.

alopeuroides, as well as from N. Mitch.e.l.liana of Nees, while these two species differ widely from each other in several important points of structure.

In undertaking to give some account of the more remarkable plants of Captain Sturt's collection, it was my intention to have entered in some detail into the general character of the vegetation of the interior of Australia, south of the Tropic.

I am now obliged to relinquish my original intention, so far as relates to detail, but shall still offer a few general remarks on the subject.

These remarks will probably be better understood, if I refer, in the first place, to some observations published in 1814, in the Botanical Appendix to Captain Flinders's Voyage.

From the knowledge I then had of New Holland, or Australian vegetation, I stated that its chief peculiarities existed in the greatest degree in a parallel, included between 33 degrees and 35 degrees S. lat. which I therefore called the princ.i.p.al parallel, but that these peculiarities or characteristic tribes, were found chiefly at its western and eastern extremities, being remarkably diminished in that intermediate portion, included between 133 degrees and 138 degrees, E. long. These observations related entirely to the sh.o.r.es of Australia, its interior, being at that period altogether unknown; and the species of Australian plants, with which I was then acquainted, did not exceed 4200. Since that time great additions have been made to the number, chiefly by Mr. Allan Cunningham, in his various journeys from Port Jackson, and on the sh.o.r.es of the North and North-west coasts during the voyages of Captain King whom he accompanied; by Messrs. William Baxter, James Drummond, and M. Preiss, at the western extremity of the princ.i.p.al parallel, and by Mr. Ronald Gunn in Van Diemen's Land. It is probable that I may be considered as underrating these additions, when I venture to state them as only between two and three thousand; and that the whole number of Australian plants at present known, does not exceed, but rather falls short of 7000 species.

These additions, whatever their amount may be, confirm my original statement respecting the distribution of the characteristic tribes of the New Holland Flora; some additional breadth might perhaps be given to the princ.i.p.al parallel, and the extent of the peculiar families may now be stated as much greater at or near its western, than at its eastern extremity.

With the vegetation of the extra-tropical interior of Australia, we are now in some degree acquainted, chiefly from the collections formed by the late Mr. Allan Cunningham, and Charles Fraser, in Oxley's two expeditions from Port Jackson into the western interior, in 1817 and 1818; from Captain Sturt's early expeditions, in which the rivers Darling, Murrumbidgee, and Murray, were discovered; from those of Sir Thomas Mitch.e.l.l, who never failed to form extensive collections of plants of the regions he visited; and lastly, from Captain Sturt's present collection.

The whole number of plants collected in these various expeditions, may be estimated at about 700 or 750 species; and the general character of the vegetation, especially of the extensive sterile regions, very nearly resembles that of the heads of the two great inlets of the south coast, particularly that of Spencer's Gulf; the same or a still greater diminution of the characteristic tribes of the general Australian Flora being observable. Of these characteristic tribes, hardly any considerable proportion is found, except of Eucalyptus, and even that genus seems to be much reduced in the number of species; of the leafless Acaciae, which appear to exist in nearly their usual proportion; and of Callitris and Casuarina. The extensive families of Epacrideae, Stylideae, Restiaceae, and the tribe of Decandrous Papilionaceae, hardly exist, and the still more characteristic and extensive family of Proteaceae is reduced to a few species of Grevillea, Hakea, and Persoonia.

Nor are there any extensive families peculiar to these regions; the only characteristic tribes being that small section of aphyllous, or nearly aphyllous Ca.s.siae, which I have particularly adverted to in my account of some of the species belonging to Captain Sturt's collection; and several genera of Myoporinae, particularly Eremophila and Stenochilus. Both these tribes appear to be confined to the interior, or to the two great gulfs of the South coast, which may be termed the outlets or direct continuation of the southern interior; several of the species observed at the head of Spencer's Gulf, also existing in nearly the same meridian, several degrees to the northward. It is not a little remarkable that nearly the same general character of vegetation appears to exist in the sterile islands of Dampier's Archipelago, on the North-west coast, where even some of the species which probably exist through the whole of the southern interior are found; of these the most striking instances are, Clianthus Dampieri, and Jasminum lineare, and to establish this extensive range of these two species was my object in entering so minutely into their history in the preceding account.