Tab. 7846. ' 



BYBLIS GIGANTEA. 

 Native of Western Australia, 



Nat. Ord. ? 

 Genus BiBLls, Salisb. ; {Benth. & Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 664). 



Byblis gigantea ; herba erecta, pilis glanduliferis operta, viscida, canle simjili- 

 ciusculo basi lignoFO, foliis 6-12 poll, longis anguste linearihus teretibiiH 

 V. eupra canalicnlatis vernatione involatip, pednncnlis axillaiibus nni- 

 floris, sepalJs lanceolatis candato-acumiiiatis 6-7 nerviis, petalis cuncato- 

 obovatis crenulatis disco tenui hypogyno insertis alabastro contorti.", 

 flabellatim multinerviis ima lasi primtim cohserentibus demxim marces- 

 centibus, staminibus 5 hypopynia subdeclinatis, antberis filaroentis cra?- 

 eiusculis longionbus irsequalibus basifixis lineari-oblongis, loculis demum 

 ab apice ad basin dehiscentibus, ovario 2-loctilare, stylo simplici, stigniate 

 capitellato, ovulis septo affixis, capsula subglobosa gepalis persistentibus 

 breviore loculicida polysperma, seminibns minntis ovoideis, testa cras- 

 siuscula rugulosa, embryone immerse, cotyledonibus brevibns. 



B. gigantea, Lindl. in Swan River App. p. 21. Lehm. in Plant Preiss. vol. i. 

 p. 257. Plamh. in Ann. Sc. Nat Ser. 3, vol. ix. p. 306. Benih. Fl. 

 Austral vol. ii. p. 470. Barrciv in Gard. Chron. 1899, vol. n. p. 409, 

 et 1900, vol. ii. p. 351, fig. 109. Lang in Flora, vol. kxxviii. (1901) p. 149, 

 t. 12. 



B. Lindleyana, Planch. I.e. p. 307. 



The genus ByhUs has been referred to the Order Bro- 

 seracese, from which it conspicuously differs in the simple 

 style, two-celled ovary, and other characters. Bentham, 

 in the " Flora Australiensis," points out the resemblonce in 

 the structure of its flowers to those of Cheiranthera, an 

 Australian genus of the Order Pittosjporew, of very different 

 habit and foliage ; the likeness to which genus is evidenced 

 in the corolla, declinate stamens, anthers, two-celled ovary, 

 single style, and loculicidal capsule. 



Very recently B. gigantea has been made the subject of an 

 elaborate study by Mr. F. L. Lang, in a paper cited above, 

 who, after a close comparison of it with Folypompholyx, 

 Lehm., an Australian water-plant of the Order Lentil^" 

 lariesi, unhesitatingly refers it not only to the same Order, 

 but to " close proximity " with that genus. _ The point 

 upon which Mr. Lang most strongly dwells is, that the 

 glandular hairs of B. gigantea are structurally different 



July 1st, 1902. 



