BY HENRY DEANE AND J. H, MAIDEN. 709 



General remarks. — The name stricta is rather a happy one, 

 though not exclusively characteristic. It is a shrubby species, 

 with a number of thin steins of approximately equal diameter. 

 It has been compared in habit to a Mallee, but it has no thickened 

 root-stock. Height from 6 to 15 feet. 



Bark. — Falling oif in strips, leaving smooth stems. 



Timber. — Pale coloured, but too small to furnish what is com- 

 mercially known as timber. 



MatiLre leaves. — Rigid, very coriaceous, varying from narrow- 

 linear to ovate-lanceolate. Usually hooked at the apex. Often 

 glossy. 



It will be convenient to group the species with respect to the 

 shape of the leaves. They, however, appear to run into each 

 other b}^ insensible gradations. 



a. Coriaceous, lanceolate leaves, more or less falcate, almost 

 acuminate. Average length 3^ to 4 inches, and breadth | inch. 



Hab. — South Coast, e.g., Sugar Loaf Mountain (Braidwood), 

 Moruya and Candelo; also Blue Mountains. 



Apparently large when growing in congenial situations, but 

 leaves and fruits smaller when growing in bleak, sterile localities. 



h. Coriaceous, linear-lanceolate, hooked leaves. 



Hdb. — Blue Mountains generally. 



De Candolle, followed by Bentham, gives the leaves as linear- 

 lanceolate or linear, but it is quite impossible to exclude broader 

 leaved forms 



Peduncles. — Flattened or angular. Each with 4 to 8 (Bentham) 

 or 5 or 6 (De Candolle) shortly pedicellate small flowers. 



Calyx tube. --^ot 2 lines in diameter, tapering. 



Opercuhim very short, nearly hemispherical, surmounted b}' a 

 point (umbonate). ^Nluch shorter than the calyx tube. Bentham 

 speaks of the buds as ovoid. This is hardly true as a general rule. 

 They are clavate, and often yellowish, especially the operculum. 

 Bentham notes that the operculum is not longer than the calyx 

 tube. It is usualh^ very much shorter. It may l)e remarked 

 that in regard to the gen-eral shape of the operculum, with its 



umbo, this species bears resemblance to E. obtusijijra. 

 46 



