40 PLOKA OP TASMANIA. [Frankcniacece . 
Nat. Ord. XI. ERANKENIACE^E. 
The plants of this Order are natives of the shores of many extratropical countries, both in the Northern 
and Southern Hemisphere. About ten to twelve species are known, almost all belonging to the genus Fran- 
kenia. Six or eight are natives of the Australian coasts, chiefly the western, but their limits have not been 
determined j very probably one or more are European. The affinities of the Order are considered to be 
with Caryophyllea, to which they appear allied in habit, in the scale upon the limb of the petals, and some 
other points. They are also allied to Fiolariea. 
Gen. I. FBANKENIA, L. 
Sepala 4-5, in tubum costatum coalita. Petala 5, unguiculata. Stamina 4-6, hypogyna. Ovarium 
1-loculare, e carpidiis 2-3 formatum; ovulis numerosis parietalibus, funiculis elongatis. Capsula 2-4- 
valvis. Semina plurima, ascendentia, scabra. 
Herbs or small shrubs.— Stems terete, leaves opposite, often cuneate, whorled or fascicled, exstipulate. 
Flowers at the apices or between the forks of the branches, sessile, white or pink, rarely violet. Sepals four or 
five, erect, connate into a narrow furrowed tube, persistent. Petals as many, with long, narrow, erect claws and 
spreading limb; a scale is often placed at the base of the limb. Stamens four to six, hypogynous. Filaments 
slender. Anthers rounded. Ovary solitary, free, of two to four combined carpels, with as many styles (combined 
below), and oblong or capitate stigmata. Ovules many, on marginal placenta} at the junction of the carpels, which 
are produced towards the axis. Capsule one-celled, two- to four-valved. Seeds ascending, ovate ; testa scabrous ; 
basal ; raphe filiform ; chalaza thickened. Albumen mealy. Embryo orthotropous, axile, as long as the 
seed; radicle very short; cotyledons ovate-oblong. (Named in honour of John Franken, a Professor of Medicine 
at Upsal.) 
. pauciflora (DC. Prodr. i. 350) ; pubescens v. canescens, caulibus ascendentibus, ra- 
mulis erectis, foliis erectis lineari-subulatis ovato-oblongisve obtusis marginibus obscure v. ad costam revo- 
lutis basi membrana ciliata connatis, floribus pentameris, sepalis glabratis.— Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 2896 • Endl 
Plant Hugel. 9. {Gunn, 1029.) 
Hab. Circular Head; Goose Island, in Bass' Straits, Gunn.— (PI. Nov.) 
Distmb. Extratropical coasts of Australia. (Cultivated in England.) 
I have identified this with the plant figured in the 'Botanical Magazine,' which has decidedly hoary down on 
the dried stems, and ciliated bases to the leaves ; its flowers are larger, as might be expected in cultivated specimens. 
It appears a variable plant on the Australian coast, and the leaves on some of the Goose Island specimens are so 
oblong and expanded that it may be expected to occur with nearly plane, broad foliage—Plants a span to a foot 
high, hoary with scattered pubescence. Leaves opposite, whorled and fascicled, ±-i inch long, coriaceous, linear, 
blunt, with the margins generaUy revolute to the midrib ; when expanded the under surface is very downy Flowers 
solitary, pentamerous. Calyx \ inch long, nearly glabrous. Petals J-* inch across the tips of the opposite ones, 
claw shorter than the broadly-obovate erose lamina; scale broadly ovate, blunt. Stamens five, of unequal length • 
anthers broadly oblong. Stigmata three, linear-clavate.-Labfllardiere figures F. tetrapetala (i. 1. 114) as a native of 
Tasmania. It much resembles a West Australian plant in its small size, densely imbricate leaves, much smaller 
flowers, and four petals, etc. ; the leaves are hardly cnneate at the base, and the sepals are tomentose at the margin. 
-Mr. Gunn indeed considers the present as Labillardiere's plant; and if so, the latter is very variable, for his 
specimens do not accord well with the figure of that author. Mr. Gunn says it almost covers those parts of Goose 
Island (growing a foot high) where space for any vegetation is left between the burrows of the mutton-bird (a 
species of petrel), and that he also saw it at Circular Head, whence however he has sent no specimens. 
