X62 Neue Litteratur. 



Eiscuach, Ein botanischer Spaziergang auf den Emanuelsberg bei Rotenljurg 



a. d. F. (Festschrift des Vereins für Naturkunde zu Cassel. 1886. p. 84.) 

 Geheeb, A,, Ein Blick in die Flora des Dovrefjeld. (1. c. p. 40.) 

 Miieller, Ferd. Baron von, Description of a new Tiliaceous tree from North- 

 Eastern Australia. (Proceedings of the Royal Society Queensland. Vol. II. 

 Part 2. 1885.) 



[Among the Queensland timber samples procured by Dr. Bancroft, 

 jun. , with such praiseworthy zeal for the Indian and Colonial Exhi- 

 bition, soon to be held in London, occurs also the wood of the follo- 

 wing tiliaceous tree, concerning which I have been consulted by Mr. 

 F. M. Bailey, the Government Botanist of Queensland. The branchlets 

 transmitted by him for taxologic Identification bear leaves, flower-buds, 

 well-developed flowers, and fruit. 



Elaeocarpus Bancroftii F. v. M. & Bail. 



Tree over lOOft. in height ; the diameter of stem over 2ft. ; bark 

 scaly of a brownish colour, about V^iu- in thickness. Branchlets, thinly 

 brownish, velvet-dowuy. Leaves ovate-lanceolar, or almost ovate on 

 rather long somewhat velvety stalks, entire at the margin, or slightly 

 wavy, shining above, paler and without lustre beneath, and there the 

 ascendent primary veins prominent , nearly glabi-ous on both pages ; 

 flower-stalks axillary or lateral comparatively short bearing only 2-5 

 flowers, at or near the summit — as well as the stalklets and calyces — 

 tkinly velvety downy. Flowers rather large, longer than their stalklets. 

 Buds ovate-globular ; sepals four, oblong lanceolar, of thick consistence ; 

 petals four, glabrous, cleft at the upper end iuto generally three short 

 roundish lobes without fringes ; stamens numerous; filaments nearly 

 or fully as long as the anthers , the latter glabrous , only slightly 

 pointed ; ovary greyish velvet-downy, foui'-celled, passing into an up- 

 wards glabrescent style. Fruit -vevy large, ovate-globular; endocarp, 

 remarkably thick, somewhat uneven, and slightly foveolated outside, 

 separable into four valves ; cavity , one-celled. Seed one , verj large, 

 oblique-ovate. 



On the Johnstone River; Dr. Bancroft, jun. 



A tall tree; branchlets robust. Leaves 3-5 inches long 11/2-2 inches 

 broad, rather smooth above, gradually narrowed at the base, the closely- 

 reticulated veinlets subtile; no foveoles at the mid-rib beneath. Leaf- 

 stalks attaining a length of from one to two inches. Flower-stalks 

 comparatively thick, but generally not above an incli long, occasionally 

 even shortened to i/4in. Stalklets, not beut downward, finally some- 

 times lengthening to one inch. Sepals i/^-V^ii- long, pale silky inside. 

 Petals somewhat longer, inflexed along the margin while in bud. Fila- 

 ments slightly hairy. Anthers very narrow, about ^/mi. long, unbearded. 

 Style subulate, ^/s-'^-jim. long. Annular disk slightly lobed, rather broad, 

 bearing the stamens chiefly on the summit , thinly velvety. Ovules 

 generally four in each cell. Fruit measuring 1-1 '/sin. exocarp thinly 

 crustaceous. Mesocarp exsiccating, forming a Stratum not very thick. 

 Endocarp woody, the sutural lines very perceptible outside, the com- 

 missural Spaces permanently cohering, but on forced Separation showing 

 a silky fibrous vestiture. Seed turgid, about ^/sin. long; testa brown- 

 black, smooth ; albumen copious , almost amygdaline ; embryo white, 

 nearly as bi-oad as the albumen and almost as long; cotyledons 

 foliaceously flat, about i/2iu. long, oblique-ovate ; radicle hemiellipsoid- 

 cylindrical, several times shorter than the cotyledons. 



These "kerneis" have an agreeable flavour, and are eaten by the 

 settlers. The wood of this tree is hard and durable, considerably 

 resembling in this and other respects the American lignum vitae — for 

 which indeed it might form a good Substitute. 



This remarkable species bears alliance to E. Horckii , so far as the 

 form of the leaves , the few-flowered peduncles , and the large size qf 

 the fruit are concerned; elongated filaments occur likewise in E. ari- 

 status, E. amoenus, E. venustus, and some others, while the sutural 

 indication is also well - marked in E. tuberculatus , E. ganitrus , and 



