158 H T. Baker. 
XLVHL R. T. Baker, Actinotus Paddisoni. 
(Aus: Proc. Linn. Soe, N. S. Wales, XXX, 1905, p. 225—228, pl. IV.) 
A. prostrate annual with perennial base, having strong, wiry, slightly 
pubescent, dichotomous branches which measure one or two feet in 
length, curving upwards at the ends and radiating from the perennial 
base. Leaves not numerous, stem clasping, solitary or realy two at the 
same node, sometimes over 2 inches long, 3-partite or 2-partite, with 
inear cuneata or oblong linear, nearly acute segments, 1 to 3 lines long, 
entire or 2-or 3-lobed, almost glabrous above, a few scattered silky 
plumose hairs on the under surface especially on the midrib and 
hickened edges. Umbels dense, on stout peduncles measuring 2 to 5 lines 
long, depressed on the peduncle. Involucre radiating to 9 lines when in 
flower and to over 1 inch in diameter when in fruit, consisting of 12 to 20 
lanceolate, acute bracts united for about one-half their length, covered 
on both sides with silky plumose hairs, nerved or striated from the base. 
Flowers very numerous, almost sessile; pistillata flowers very few, 
hermaphrodite flowers predominating, often imperfectly developed, having 
also staminodia, Calyx divided into five acute lobes covered with silky 
plumose hairs, inside glabrous. Petals none. Fertile stamens few, realy 
5 in each flower, mostly 2. Staminodia strap-shaped or linear, these 
often are 5 in number. Styles 2, shortly joined at the base, thick and 
short, clavate, curved inwards. Fruit nearly orbicular, black, glabrous or 
slightly ciliate on the ridges just below the calyx. 
Eastern Australia. 
The umbels and involucre have the facies of those species with 
erect habit, the bracts of the involucre, however, being a little smaller, 
but much larger than those of A. Gibbonsii F. v. M., and having different 
tomentum from any described species. 
Like A. Helianthi Labill, A. minor DC., A. bellidioides Benth and 
A. glomerata Benth., it has no petals, the absence of which organ, along 
with other features, separates it from A. leucocephalus Benth., A. rhom- 
boideus Benth., and A. Forsythi Maiden and Betche. From A. Schwarzii 
F. v. M. it differs in the length of peduncles and pedicels, habit and 
floral characteres, 
The numerous hairs on the sepals are plumose as well as those 
occuring on other parts of the plant. 
Some of the floral structures are perhaps not so regular or rather 
constant as pertain in other species. Only a.few of the flowers are 
pistillate, the remainder having both stamens and pistil as well as 
staminodia or pistil and staminodia. These staminodia are strap-shaped 
and in some flowers are regulary 5 in number, so that they were at 
first regarded as linear petals, but their absence in a few flowers having 
