Di- Balfour's Description of Hare Plants. 201 



centrifugal. In some of the specimens, the stalked umbels pro- 

 ceeded singly from the axil of leaves ; in others the flowering 

 branch ended in a cluster of pedunculated umbels, giving rise to 

 the appearance of a compound umbel. This depends on a short- 

 ening of the branch, the leaves of which, in place of being alter- 

 nate, became opposite, and the flowering stalks thus came off nearly 

 at the same point. Involucre, consisting of numerous small tri- 

 angular deciduous scales or bracts, one of which is at the base of 

 each pair of flowers. Peduncles covered with brownish or golden 

 hairs. The extremity of each of the peduncles is curved do^-n- 

 wards abruptly, the apex forming a circular flattened disk. 

 Flowers obliquely attached to short pedicels about half an inch 

 long, arranged in a circular manner round the extremity of the 

 peduncle. Alahastnis of a clavate form, tlie extremity being 

 rounded or knob-like. Sepals four, valvate, at first opening be- 

 tween the claws, and cohering by their capitate or clavate apex, 

 afterwards opening entirely, and becoming revolute, three of them 

 cm-ving downward and one upward, thus giving a subsecund 

 aspect, of a pale-orange colour outside, and of a fine orange scar- 

 let within, hypogynous, linear-clavate, lower half of nearly uni- 

 form breadth, upper becoming narrower, and gradually tapering 

 towards the ovato-triangular hollow, spoonlike, obliquely attached 

 extremity, which is of a yellowish colour. Sepals and pedicels 

 covered with short minute, appressed brownish hairs , some of 

 them conical, others clavate. Anthers four, supported on short 

 stalks, which are inserted in the lower part of the concave apices 

 of the sepals. Pollen triangular, estine reticulated. Ovary 

 covered with silky brown hairs, supported on a long stalk or the- 

 caphore, which is equal in length to the style, and has a dark-red 

 adherent scale, partially surrounding its base ; unilocular, with 

 three ovules attached to a parietal placenta. Style one inch loner, 

 curved nearly at right angles from the apex of the ovary, taper- 

 ing, ending in an oblique shield-like apex, bearing a large sub- 

 conical stigma, which is covered with pollen when the sepals ex- 

 pand. Ovules ampliitropal. Fruit has not been perfected in the 

 Garden. It is said to be a terete follicle, about the size of tlic 

 little finger, apiculate, wood}-, chocolate-brown, and containing 

 seeds which are winged at the base. 

 Hooker states, that this plant was discovered in 1826, by Allan 

 Cunningham, on the banks of the Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, 

 but as he did not see the flower, he gave no description of the 

 plant. Two rooted plants were sent to Kew, and from them the 

 plant has been distributed over the country. The plants in the 

 Kew Garden have attained the height of 10 feet, but have not 



