BILLENTAGEm. 



93 



greater or less degree in mm\j other species of Hihhertm, and 

 hence does not appear of any great importance. In the species 

 already known, a native of New Caledonia, whose flowers are 

 in short, few-fiowered axillary spikes, the large stamens near 

 the centre are from two to four in number.' In another species, 

 from Van Diem en's Land, which we have called 11. tasmaniccr 

 (fig. 132), there are still 

 more of these large stamens, 

 of which upwards of six 

 may often be noted. The 

 flowers are also axillary, and 

 pedunculate and solitary. 

 Most of the organs, espe- 

 cially the branches, sepals, 

 and ovaries, are covered with 

 scale-like hairs. ^ The two 

 carpels each contain a va- 

 riable number^ of ascending 

 ovules in two vertical rows. 



HibherUa grossdaricBfolia Salisb.' (figs. 133-184), a native of 

 New Holland, sometimes cultivated in our conservatories, has been 

 made by some authors the type of a distinct genus, Burtonia,^ on 

 account of several noteworthy characters. Before bearincr the 

 floral organs, the receptacle swells into a head, the upper surface 

 of which is nearly flat. The perianth, consisting of five imbricate 

 sepals, and five imbricate petals, is inserted with the androccum on the 



mbberlia (Trimorphandra) iasmanica. 



Fig. 132. 



Longitudinal section of flower. 



' We have observed [Adansonia, vi. 264) that 

 if the large stamens when two in number alter- 

 nate with the enrpels, yet we can no longer find 

 any such relntions with the gyna^ceum when there 

 are three or four of them; and further, on 

 the strength of certain flowers " another genus 

 Tetramorphandra might be founded ; for in them 

 we see several stamens intermediate between the 

 long internal stamens and the outermost of the 

 fertile stamens, both in position and in the length 

 and form of the anthers." 



^ Adansonia, loc. cit. note 1 . The internal 

 stamens differ mainly in size, not form, from the 

 middle ones. 



^ Several Oceanian species of Hibbertia also 

 possess squamiform hairs on the calyx and gynre- 

 ceum. From tiiis peculiarity 11. lepiJola 11. Br. 

 (DC. Syst. Veg. i. 432) derives its name. In this 



the stamens are also remarkable, forming larger 

 bundles with more stamens to each on the one 

 side of the flower than on the other. 



■* In the New Caledonia species the number of 

 ovules (six, according to the authors of the 

 genus) may, as we have observed (loc cit., 2()3, 

 note 2) be reduced to three. In the Tasmanian 

 plant are three or four ascending ovules in eacli 

 carpel. 



^ Par. Lond., t. 73.— SiMS, in Bot. Mag., 

 t. 1218.— DC, Trodr., i. 73.— Jf. creiiafa 

 Andu., Bot. Sep., t. 472. — JI. ladfolia 

 Steuj)., from SrAOir, Sid/, a Buff'., vii. lilt. 



•' Salish., from DC, SgsL, i. 425. — B. grox- 

 sulariafolia Spacti, loc. cit. — WarhuHonia 

 potenlilUna F. Muell., Fragm., i. 230, t. 9; 

 ii. 182. 



