420 ON A SMALL COLLECTION OF PLANTS FROM THE AIRD RIVER, 



corolla many times longer than the calyx, rather densely short- 

 hairy outside, its lobes narrowly semi-lanceolar, hardly half as long 

 as the throughout slender tube, inside minutely papillular- hairy ; 

 stamens reaching nearly to the summit of the coi-olla-tube ; 

 filaments extremely short ; anthers linear, pointed, almost half as 

 long as the tube of the corolla, narrowly but conspicuously bilobed 

 at the base ; stigmas setaceous-linear, thrice shorter than the 

 style ; ova.ry short. 



Near the Aird-River (Theodore Bevan, Esq.). 



The small branchlet obtained bears only one leaf, which evi- 

 dently is diminutive, so that the rounded form may not be 

 normal ; the inflorescence may also, perhaps, become more 

 elongated, than shown by our material. 



The broader calyx-lobes but narrower corolla-lobes, further the 

 shorter filaments, the longer anthers and the extremely narrower 

 stigmata distinguish this new Papuan species already from all 

 forms of J/ussaenda frondosa, the only congener hitherto recorded 

 from New Guinea. The form of the leaves (so far as known), the 

 shortness of the tube of the calyx at flowering time, the whiteness 

 of the vestiment of the corolla-tube upwards inside, and the not 

 ovate corolla lobes separate our new plant easily from M. Forsteniana. 

 Close aifinity to any other species could not be traced out, 



1 most gladly connect with this beautiful and probably fragrant 

 plant the name of the explorer, through whose bi-avery and skill 

 the regions of the Aird-River system have now become opened up 

 to civilization and commerce, with the additional hopeful pros[)ect 

 of ready access to high and likely salubrious main ranges for 

 mining and rural enterprises. 



Begonia Sharpeana. 



(Plate vii.) 



Leaves large, obliquely cordate-orbicular, slightly acuminate, at 

 the margin and beneath along the nerves minutely fringed, above 

 imperfectly conspersed with minute depressed papillular corpuscles, 

 on both pages subtle-dotted, and when young partially red-tinged ; 



