236 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA, 



PANDANE^;. 



*Freycinetia excelsa, F.v.M. — North Tumbulgum, Tweed 

 iver (W. Bauerlen). "In gullies and trailing along the ground, 

 chiefly, however, ascending the trunks of trees to a height of 1 00-1 20 

 feet, mostly in straight stems, though also sometimes in a spiral 

 or at least crooked course; these stems are often very numerous; 

 for instance, to-day I have seen a tree along the trunk of which 

 there must have been fully 80 stems, forming an interlacing net- 

 work for some distance up the tree. This is, as far as I have 

 seen, an exceptional tree, but trees along which from 30-40 stems 

 are running are not exceptional. These stems are usually from 

 \ inch to \ inch in diameter, and soon commence to branch, the 

 branches being usually very slender and from 1 inch to 5 feet in 

 length, mostly gracefully drooping. The young stems have quite 

 a different appearance, having the leaves much shorter and 

 broader, also much further apart." 



As it has only been recorded from imperfect material, I now 

 add the following systematic notes : — Female spikes terminal, 

 solitary, ovoid oblong, 1 to 1| inch long on peduncles of about 1 

 inch long; of a bright crimson colour. Ovaries very numerous, 

 compact, cohering at their bases, free in the upper half, divided 

 mostly into two stigmas, occasionally three, as in F. Gaudicliaiidii, 

 R.Br, and Benn. Fruit bursting irregularly, as also in that 

 species. Seeds numerous, oblong, flat, about ^ line long, testa 

 light yellow, with white oblong cellular longitudinal apjDendages or 

 strophioles as long as the seeds. 



This plant exudes on its leaves a red resinous substance, the 

 coloui'ing being contained in the resinous portion; it is removed 

 by alcohol, the residue consisting of gum. The exudation is thus 

 a gum-resin. It was not in sufiicient quantity to accurately 

 determine its constituents more fully. 



* Species marked with an asterisk have not previously been recorded 

 from New South Wales. 



