280 Lxxi. SAPOTACEJE. [Sersalisia. 



w 



broad lateral hilum; no albumen; cotyledons very thick and hard; radicle 

 scarcely prominent. — Bassia galactoxyla^ F. Muell. Fragm. vi. 27. 



Queensland. "Rockingham Bay, Bailach^. The genus of this plant cannot be ascer- 

 tained until the flowers shall have been seen. It is, however, so totally unlike any species 

 of Bassia known to me, and so very uear to some species of Jchras^ with the fruit almost 

 of Sersalisia sericea, that it appears to mc to be a much more probable congener of the 

 latter than of Bassia. 



3. ACHRAS, Linn. 



(Sapota, A. DC.) 



Calyx-lobes, corolla-lobes, stamens^ and ovary-cells 5, or rarely 6 or more, 

 or the ovary-cells in species not Aiistralian twice as many. Scales (or sta- 

 minodia ?) in the throat of the corolla alternating with the lobes. Ovules 

 laterally attached. Seeds solitary or few, rarely all perfect ; testa hard, 

 shining ; hilum lateral, linear or broad, above half as long as the seed ; albu- 

 men copions, fleshy ; cotyledons broad, flat, usually thin.— Trees or shrubs, 

 glabrous or tomentose. Flowers sessile or pedicellate, clustered. 



The genus is distributed over the tropical regions of the New as well as the Old \Vorld. 

 Of the nine Australian species, one may perhaps extend to Norfolk Island, the others are all 

 endemic, and all belong to the section Oliqotheca, A. DC, with the ovary-cells of i\\^ same 

 number as the calyx- and corolla-lobes. The West Indian A, Sapola, cultivated in tropical 

 Asia, alone constitutes the typical section, with the ovary-cells twice as many as calyx- and 

 corolla-lobes. In the following key I have included Sersalisia, which can only be distin- 

 guished by the seed, 



riowers sessile or on pedicels shorter than the flowers. 



Leaves broad, on short petioles, silky or tomentose underneath. 



(No albumen.) Sersalisia sencea. 



Leaves broad, on long petioles, softly pubescent on both sides. 



(Seeds unknown.) ' \, A. Amhermca, 



Leaves narrow, glabrous ' 2. A, Pohlmamana. 



Pedicels longer than the flowers. 



Leave3 perfectly glabrous on both sidea. 



Leaves distinctly acuminate. Hilum linear. 



Petioles rather long ; minor veinlets scarcely conspicuous. 3. A, xerocarpa. 

 Petioles short. Leaves thin, the minor veinlets conspicuous. 4. A. chartacea. 



Leaves scarcely acuminate, reticulate ; petioles rather long. 



Hilum broad 5.-4. laurlfoha^ 



Leaves scarcely acuminate, coriaceous, much reticulate ; pe- 

 tioles rather short. Hilum linear 6. ^. austrahs* 



Leaves narrow, very obtuse. (No albumen.) Sersalisia galactoxfo*- 



Leaves more or less tomentose-silky or pubescent underneath or 

 on both sides, usually very obtuse. 



Leaves 3 to 5 in. long, obovate, minutely silky underneath. 



Calyx-segments orbicular 7- ^- obovala. 



Leaves mostly 1 to 2 in. long, ovate or obovate, pubescent. . . , , 



Calyx-segments ovate 8. ^. myrsinoiaef^ 



Leaves small, obovate or orbicular. Tlowers' mostly solitary. .. .. i-^ \ 



Ovary surrounded by an annular disk ....... Hormogyne cotimjon^ 



There are in A. Cunningham's collection, from York Sound, N.W. coast, specimens of ap- 

 parently another species of Achras, but with globular fruits much harder than in any specie 

 known to me In the absence of flowers I do not feel sufReieutly certain as to their geau^ 

 to describe them. 



1. A, Arnhemica, T, Muell. Herb. Branches softly pubescent. Leaves 



