158 



THE INSTABILITY OF LEAF-MOHPHOLOGY, 



phyllous leaves of B. ledifolia Gay, a species well known to local 

 botanists for its leaf-variation, are described(4; Vol. i., p. 314) as 

 simple, trifoliate, or rarely 5-, or even 7-foliate. Specimens from 

 French's Forest (Coil. E. A. Holden; 8ept., 1906), exhibited 

 before this Society by Mr. J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., on behalf of 

 Mr. T. Steel, F.L.S., with reference to a case of assumed hybrid- 

 ism, B. Jloribunday. Z>. serrulata Sm., (These Proceedings, 1906, 

 p. 566) showed an interchange of leaf-characters between these 

 two species, which was accentuated by further variation, in 

 another example from Deewhy,(T. D. Mutch; August, 1915) 

 exhibited for Mr. Maiden(13; 1915, p. 41 9). 



A series of specimens of Erlostemon hispidulus Sieb., from 

 Springwood, illustrating leaf- variation in size, shape, margin, and 

 length of petiole, was exhibited(13; 1915, p. 415) taken from 

 bushes growing under apparently similar, environmental condi- 

 tions; and an additional series is here noted, from plants of E. 

 salicifoliusHm., also growing under similar conditions, on a sandy 

 flat at Woy Woy(A. A. Hamilton; June, 1915), ranging from 

 broad lanceolate, 2x | inch, to narrow linear, 2x |^ inch, and 

 from i to 3 inches long. Specimens of Phebaliiim squaraidosum 

 Vent., in the National Herbarium, show a considerable range of 

 variation in the dimensions of the leaves of this widely dis- 

 tributed species, in several instances obviously due to environ- 

 ment; the scurfy scales vary in colour from red to black, the 

 margins are from barely recurved to almost revolute, and the 

 apices are from acuminate to broadly obtuse, truncate, or 

 emarginate. 



MELIACE.E. 



Mr. Bentham's description of Flindersia maculosa F.v.M.,(Fl. 

 Aust. i., p.389) is elastic. 



SAPINDACEiE. 



The botanical description given by Mr. Maiden of Atalaya 

 hemiglauca F v.M.,(19; ii., p. 122, PI. 60) shows that the leaves of 

 this species may be simple or pinnate, from 2-8 inches long, the 

 petiole terete or winged, or the leaflets decurrent on the petiole, 

 forming a large 2- or 3-lobed leaf, such a leaf being depicted as a 



