Gunniance. N. O. Malvaceae. 



TAB. CCLXI. CCLXII. 



Law REN CIA* spiCATA, Hook. 



4 



EN. Char. Lawrencia. Hook. — Calyx monophyllus, subinfla- 

 tus, 5-fidus, bractea trifida stipatus. Petala 5, lanceolata, basi 

 coalita. Stamina 15-20, filamentis in tubum longum coadu- 

 natis, basi cum petalis unztis : Antherm 1-loculares, Ovaria 5, 

 lato-ovata, acuta, in orbem circa styli basin congesta Iseviter 

 coalita, 1-ovulata. Stylus 1, brevis: Stigmata 5, fijiformia, 

 exserta. Carpella unilocularia, indehiscentia, monosperma. 

 Semen reniforme, suspensum. Embryo curvatus. Radicula 

 cylindracea, ad hilum seminis versa. Cotyledones crassae 

 inasquales, duplicatee. — -Herba Australasica glabra. Radix 

 crassa^ annua? pluriceps. Caulis erectuSy simplex, crassus, 

 herbaceus, medullosiis, l-ped. ad 3-perf. et ultra. Folia stipu- 



ohscure 



longe 



foliis Jlorifi 



fioriferis. Floras parvi 



arctissime congesti. 

 Xi. spicata, , 



Hab. Port Arthur, Van Dieman's Land ; and at Port Fairy, 



South Australia, growing on the side of a salt-water inlet, 



where the ground was marshy. Ronald Gunn^ Esq. 



This is another of the many new and undescribed plants which 

 I have received from my valued friend and correspondent, Mr 

 Gunn. I am quite unable to point out any Genus of the Order, 

 to which it is here referred, with which in habit it has any close 

 affinity. The whole plant is singularly thick and fleshy, shrink- 

 ing a good deal in drying ; and when dried, both the leaves and 

 flowers become so much distorted that it is diflicult to represent 

 the structure of the latter with entire accuracy. I think, how- 

 ever, the analysis here given may be depended upon. 



Fig. 1. Flower and bractea. /. 2. Flower. /. 3. Corolla, with the staminal 

 column and stigmas, f, 4. Pistil, in a nearly ripe state, f. 5. Calyx, from 

 which the five capsules have fallen away, leaving the persistent base of the 

 style to which they were attached, f. 6. Ripe carpel, f, 7* The same laid open, 

 to show the seed* f. 8. Seed laid open, showing the embryo surrounded by 

 an inner coat. /. 9. The seed laid open, showing the embryo itself- /. 10. 

 Embryo : — magnified^ 



* So named after the late R. W. Lawrence, Esq., of Van Dieman'a Land, a 

 most enthusiastic Botanist, to whom I am indebted for my first Van Dieman's 

 Land collections, and from whom Mr Ronald Gunn imbibed his ardent thirst 

 for science. — Laurencia of Lamour. is Chondria. 



