34 



ovate, impressed at the placenta, fixed at the middle. Testa 

 membranous, pale. Albumen thin, amj'gdaline. Embryo 

 white, but little shorter than the albumen. Cotyledons plane- 

 convex, free, downwards straight, upwards somewhat bent or 

 twisted. Eadicle very short, almost globular, exserted, 

 inferior. 



A somewhat hairy herb, stemless or producing a very short 

 stem, with creeping root-stock, with leaves opposite or quatern- 

 arily crowded of comparatively large size, of ovate shape, 

 of wedge-shaped attenuation into their very short stalk or 

 sessile base, and of upwards many denticula'tion, with cymes 

 on rather short peduncles, with narrow or minute bracts, with 

 small flowers and outside black drupes. 



This new genus, notwithstanding its albuminous seeds, is 

 better placed into the tribe of Yiticeae than that of Chloau- 

 thacese, approaching to some extent JPremna, but introducing 

 unwontedly the feature of a stemless gesneraceous or scrophu- 

 larinous plant into the order of Yerbenaceae. It is dedicated 

 to the accomplished and unwearied Professor of Natural 

 Science in the University of Adelaide, who himself was the 

 first discoverer of this remarkable botanic novelty. 



Tatea subacaulis. 



In Arnhem's Laud, North Australia, along the route from 

 Bridge Creek to McKinlay Eiver at the Twelve-Mile, on 

 alluvial soil {Professor Hal'pli Tate) ; near Yam Creek, 

 {Inspector Foelsche) . 



E-hizome sometimes two feet long. Leaves of tender texture, 

 generally four only in number, measuring two to five inches 

 in length and one and a half to three inches in width ; always 

 flat, almost glabrescent, paler beneath. Peduncles one to two 

 inches long, beset with very short spreading hairlets. Cyme 

 compound, hardly ever exceeding one and a half inches in 

 length, conspersed with minute glands irrespective of its 

 copious hairlets. Calyces one to one and a half lines long. 

 Corolla about twice as long as the calyx, glabrous outside. 

 Upper anthers at least sometimes smaller than the others. 

 Style only about two-thirds of a line long. Fruit measuring 

 three to tour lines. 



This plant is principally in flower from March to April, and 

 ripens its fruit towards the end of the year. 



