100 THE JOUR?fAL OF BOTANY 



ALABASTKA DIVERSA.— Pakt XXVII.* 



By Spencer Le M. Moore, B.Sc, F.L.S. 



(Plate 547.) 



1. Bellida Eicarf. 



Tue smaller of the two plants on the plate was figured and 



described by Prof. Ewart in Proc. lioy. Soc. Vict. n.s. xix. 3-1, t. x. 



(1907). Cei*tain of its characters suggested to him an affinity with 



Helichri/secB ; but the cone-tipped flattened style-arms and apparent 



absence of tails to the anthers naturally seemed to indicate the proper 



place of the genus to be among the Asteroidece, where it has remained 



hithei'to without challenge. The discovery, how^ever, in the interior 



of Western Australia of a second and larger species (fig. 1) and 



its detailed examination have led me to the conviction that the genus 



should be arranged among the Kelichrysea:. The reason for this will 



be given in the appended description. 



Bellida major, sp. no v. Planta spithamea vel pauUo ultra ; caule 

 ascendente simplici vel prope basin rariramoso sparsim substrigillose 

 puberulo ; foUis caulis basin versus insertis sessilibus linearibus nisi 

 lineari-spathulatis obtusis puberulis ; capitulis solitariis longipedun- 

 culatis 00 -flosculosis flosculis intimis imminutis sterilibus ; involucri 

 3-serialis ph^'llis lanceolatis obtusis piloso-puberulis tenuiter scariosis 

 exterioribus intermediisque inappendiculatis intimis oblongis lamina 

 papyracea radiante oblonga obtusa dilute punicea vel fere omnino 

 alba onustis ; receptacuJo piano ; corolltjd tubulosae lobis 5 triangu- 

 laribus obtusis ; antheris basi microscopice caudatis ; styli ramis 

 complanatis flosculorum sterilium abbreviatis ; achceniis elongatis 

 anguste fusiformibus sursum in rostrum brevem contractis baud 

 rugatis pubescentibus puberulisve ; pappi setis numerosis breviter 

 plumosis roseis. 



Western Australia, Mulline ; J. E. C. Maryon, 1916. 



Folia pleraque 5-7 cm. long, summum 2-4 mm. lat. Pedunculus 

 circiter 20 cm. alt., pilis brevibus substrigillosis munitus. Capitula 

 pansa 2-5 x 3 cm. Involucri i)h3dla exteriora dilutissime brunnea, 

 5-7 mm. long., intima appendice exempta 10 mm. long., appendix 

 14 X fere 4 mm. Corolhe 4 mm. long. Acha^nia 11 mm. long, 

 (rostro 4 mm. long, incluso). Pappi setie 6-7 nnn. long. 



Comparison of the above with Ewart's descri])tion of B. yraminea 

 shows that the involucre of the new species differs from that of the 

 old in the presence of a prominent radiating lamina to the innermost 

 of its leaves. This character suggests affinity wdth Melichrysitm and 

 allied genera, affinity which the tailless anthers would seem to den}'. 

 This contradiction pointed to the advisabilit}" of examining the anthers 

 under the compound microsco})e, with' the result that undoubted 

 slender tails were revealed, although their close apposition to the fila- 

 ment made this a matter of some difficulty (fig. 7) ; moreover, as 

 shown in fig. 17, the anthers of JB. yrannnca, similarly scrutinized, 

 were also seen to be provided with tiiils. liemain therefore only the 



* The types of the plants described in this paper are in the National 

 Herbarium. 



