428 PLANTS FllOM NEW CALKDOKIA. 



foliorum vel bracteai'iim axillis, basin versus ramorum juvonilium orti, basi 

 (liametro circa 2 mm<, bracteis miiltis minutis imbricatis appressis late orbi- 

 ciilaribus concavis auriculatis crassis, basalibiis nnnoribn?, dense spiraliter 

 tecti. Ociilam terniinalo rectum 2- raro 3-carinatum, bora fccunditatis circa 

 12-lG nun. lon^-, 7-9 mnu biL ovoidoum vol ollipsoidomn ; intcgumoito iimco 

 externe bgnoso interne carnoso inicropylo bilabiate apicnlato ; arillo semen 

 t'ere incbidente carnoso, ore stricto ovale vcl rotaiido niiL'ro[)ybnu circunulato, 

 [Semen maturnin non visum.] jRamvJi mascali in eodem situ ac feniini orti 

 singiiU spicaii circa 15 nun. long., bracteis 12-15, 4 vel 5 bas;ilibus minori- 

 bus appressis, superioribus late deltoideis acntis erecto-paientibus 2 mm. 

 long, basi subcrassis. Stamina peUata, 1-5 iu bractea3 cujusque axillo, 

 microsporangiis 2-4 intus ii3Si)icientibns, microsporis baud alatis. 



Mt. Canala ; moist forest on steep sloijes ; schists ; 2000 t>. Tgnambi ; 

 high fon=st; gneiss; 2500 ft., etc. 1155. 



A large troo with a dense bushy crown of dark green foliage, when well 

 grown ; somewhat frequent on the schist and gneiss roelxS of tlie northern 

 half of the island, where it enters into the composition of intermediate and 

 high forest between about 1000 and 3000 ft. In its general babifc of growth 

 and in its leaves it closely resembles a Podocarpus. The female shoot shows 

 marked nflinities with Ta.ms in the orthotropous ovnle enclosed in a fleshy 

 aril and borne singly at the apex of a short bracteate axillary peduncle : 

 to thii genus it also approximates in many struciural details, The male 

 strobibis^ howiu'er, while clearly Taxoidean, diH'crs sharply from that of 

 other known genera iu its S[)icate form (to which I have called attention in 

 the specific name). The peltate stamens are similar to those of Ta.%us^ but 

 are borne in the axils of the bracts of an extended spicate strobilus. Tlie 

 pitted traclieids of the wood are devoid of spiral thickenings (cliaracteristic 

 of Taxiis). 



Wilh the exception of Ta.vus haecata var* WaUichiana^ which crosses the 

 equator in the East Indies, this is the only known Taxoidean native in the 

 southern hemisphere. 



It is remarkable that Austrota^us should have liitherto been overlooked by 

 collectors^ as it is b}^ no means infrequent nor inconspicuous. 



riXACE^. 



Araucaria, — Gruillaumin catalogues eight species^ some of doubiful 

 validity, in New Caledonia. My collection includes t]\e, \iz,, A, Balansce^ 

 A. Cooldi^ A/Rulei^ A, montana^ and A. Muelleri ; of tliese Brongniart and Gris 

 haA^e given an excellent comparative account (Bulb Soc. Bot. France, xviii. 

 p, J30, 1871). The other species recorded^ \\7.,,A.€:i:ceha (a doubtful record 



