31 



Diagnoses of a Ne^w Genus and Two Species 

 OF Composite from South Australia. 



By Baeon Sie E. tox Muellee, M.D., F.E.S., &c., 

 Hon. Member. 



Read March 6, 1883. 



Epaltes Tatei. 



Annual, dwarf, diffuse, somewhat downy; leaves small, 

 oblong-lanceolar, quite or almost sessile, not decurrent, 

 toothless or towards the summit minutely denticulated ; the 

 lower mostly opposite, the upper somewhat crowded ; flower- 

 heads small, axillary, sessile ; bracts few, irregular, in two or 

 three rows, scarious, whitish, mostly oval, ciliolated, forming a 

 campanular-ovate involucre ; female flowers in several circum- 

 ferential rows, wdth exceedingly narrow corolla and exserted 

 style-branches ; bisexual flowers few, central, partly sterile ; 

 corolla widening gradually upwards, towards the summit dark- 

 purplish ; fruits minute, cylindrical-ellipsoid, slightly angular, 

 not furrowed, faintly scabrous ; pappus on none of the flowers. 



On sandy scrub-lands between AYellington and Mason's 

 Look-Out, at the east side of Lake Alexandrina. (Prof. R. Tate). 



In external appearance this plant reminds of some minute 

 Alternantliera. Stems numerous from a slender root, not ex- 

 ceeding two inches in height. Indument from short crisp to 

 partly papillary hairs. Leaves flat, occasionally some oval, 

 measuring only 2 to -i lines m length. Flower-heads not above 

 two lines long ; when in fruit upwards contracted. E-eceptacle 

 flat, smooth. Involucrating bracts light-brownish towards the 

 base, occasionally one or more of the innermost rudimentary, 

 these narrow and stalked. Corolla of bisexual flowers com- 

 paratively slender, not callous at the base. Style branches not 

 thickened at the summit. Female corollas slightly widened 

 towards the base. Achenes when fully ripe dark-brownish, 

 hardly one-third line long. 



The identical species was known to me since very many years 

 from the vicinity of Spencer's Gulf ; but as the specimens from 

 there were gathered in mid- summer, all their florets had 

 dropped. It is an early spring plant, for Professor Tate found 

 it in full fruit already at the commencement of October. 



I have not ventured to exclude this interesting little weed 

 from a generic position in Epaltes, although the outward aspect, 



