Flora of Australia. 



11 



Centrolepis platychlamys, F. M. Reader 

 (Centrolepideae). 



C. GLABRA, Hier. 



This genus is a difficult one, and the boundary of the species 

 somewhat hard to define, but there seems to be no sound reason 

 for maintaining this species as distinct from C. glabra, as can 

 be seen from the following comparison : — 



C. GLABRA, Hier. 

 Benth. FL, vii., p. 204. 



A small glabrous plant, with the 

 habit of C. miiscoides, but more 

 slender. 



Leaves capillary ; scapes very 

 slender, sometimes slightly ex- 

 ceeding the leaves, but more fre- 

 quently shorter. 



Floral bracts close together, 

 narrow, erect, the outer one about 

 one line long, besides the point or 

 awn at least half as long ; the 

 inner one narrower, without any 

 point. 



Flowers four, of which two 

 usually without any stamen, and 

 no hyaline scales. 



Carpels of the ovary about 8, 

 rarelv 10. 



C. PLATYCHLAMYS, F. M. Reader. 

 Vict. Nat., 1906, p. 23. 



A minute, slender, glabrous 

 moss -like plant, usually under 1 

 inch. 



Leaves subulate filiform ; in the 

 larger plants shorter ; in the 

 smaller as long as, or slightly 

 longer than, the scape. 



Floral bracts close together, 

 erect or sj^reading, with the awn 

 scarcely more than one line long ; 

 inner bract shorter, margin 

 broadly membranous, no awn, 

 and obtuse. 



Flowers, 3-5, two with a stamen 

 and no scales ; the others devoid 

 of either. 



Carpels of the ovary usually 5-9. 



The membranous bases to the leaves, and the membranous 

 edges of the bracts, are also shown by type specimens of C. 

 glabra, and slight variations in the shape and size of the bracts 

 and awns hardly justify the distinction of a new species. The 

 features used to distinguish the "" species "' from C. muscoideii, 

 G. pulvinata and C. j^usilla are precisely those which distin- 

 guish C. glabra from the same species. C. glabra is only 

 recorded from a few localities in Victoria, viz. : Mt. Emu Creek, 

 F. Mueller (1853) ; Richardson River, Miss Beal ; Shire of 

 Dimboola, Reader (1898) ; Lowan, Reader (1900) ; Hawkesdale, 

 H. B. Williamson (1904 and 1908). It is also recorded from a 

 few localities in West Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. 



