W2 FLORA OF TASMANIA. [Composite. 
from one plant, or in only one locality, will doubtless prove bad species, for M. Mueller's beautiful collec- 
tions have shown us that no reliance can be placed on single or a few specimens, and that in numerous 
cases many supposed species are referable to one. Of the known species, about 300 are peculiar to South- 
eastern Australia and Tasmania, and 170 to South-western Australia, besides about 40 common to both, 
and 50 tropical species. About 50 Australian species have been found in other countries, these being 
chiefly tropical Indian and Polynesian plants. By much the greater proportion of the Australian Composite 
belong to the tribe Senecionidea, which are twice as numerous as the Jsteroidea. Of Fernoniea, Eupato- 
nea, G/narea, Labiatiflora, and Cichoracea, there are extremely few species. Amongst the latter tribe, 
the presence of Picris hieracioides, Sonchus oleraceus, and 8. asper, all apparently wild (the two former of 
which also occur in New Zealand) is very remarkable, as is that of Soliva anthemifolia, Br. (S. acaulis, 
F. Muell.), which appears to be identical with a South American species. Another remarkable feature is 
the number of peculiar genera belonging to the Gnaphalioid group, many of them extremely minute and of 
very curious organization j these abound in South-western Australia, which, in this Natural Order, as in 
many others, presents a larger proportion of peculiar genera than any other equally limited portion of the 
earth's surface. 
Tribe I. Asteroide^e, DC. 
Gen. I. EUEYBIA, Cass. 
Capitulum multiflorum, heterogamum, radiatum, rarius discoideum. Involucrum hemisphcericum v. 
campanulatum, squamis multiseriatis. Receptaculum convexum, nudum, alveolatum v. papillosum, subfim- 
bnlhferum. Fl. radii 1-seriati, ligulati, fceminei; disci tubulosi, hermaphroditi, 5-fidi; antheris breviter 
caudatis. Achenium elongatum, costatum, glabrum, glandulosum, v. sericeum. Pappus simplex, setis sca- 
bris rigidis, v. duplex setis exterioribus brevioribus.-Frutices v. arbores ; foliis alternis ; capitulis solitariis 
i*ve; disco flavo v. purpureo ; radio alio. 
A very fine genus, confined to Australia and New Zealand. The character afforded by the pappus, as distin- 
guishing Oleana from Eurybia, is far from being well marked. Sometimes there are only a few outer hairs, at 
others many, and I do not think that it affords grounds for even an artificial subdivision of the genus. There are 
not however in Tasmania any of those species of Olearia, with large, solitary, broad capitula, that are found i 
Zealand and South-eastern Australia, and which look i 
strikingly different from the commoner forms of Eurvbia. 
About s.xty Austrahan and Tasmanian Euryoi* arc known, and twelve Ole„rue ; by far the greater number of these 
arc ^south-eastern, about a dozen being south-western, and only two or three tropical. The species vary extremely 
m habd and general appearance, from heath-likc shrubs or almost herbaceous plants, to tall trees, with broad leaves , 
most are scented, often musky. I have however failed in finding any good characters b, which to divide the 
g . t cct ons, and those proposed here are very arbitrary.-^, herb,, or tree., with alternate leaves, and 
sohtary axiUary or pamculatc enp.tula. Capita few- or mauy-flowcred , outer flowers in one row, rayed, female , 
tt)l° h y T t00th l d ' hema I ,hrodite - *"*- Oriented in many scries of rigid, herbaceous scales. 
Receptacle convex, broad or rather contracted, pitted, or with a few bristles or fimbrim. J2L with short tails. 
tTZt \ P ,' f """' ° F ^ C0Sta,e ' -■ *W» ° f ~ ™ °f ^. -brid bristles, 
rlir « TT """ eXtemaI '° them - (Name ' that ° f the M °"*r °f *** *-* - Greek 
mythology ; ,n aflusion to the numerous flowers.) 
\ 1. Urge shrub, or tree,, with Urge leave,, three or more inches long, covered below with appressed tomentum. 
LapUula four- to ten-flowered, numerous, panicled. 
<ereeo tfme^ TF***!^ ( ?T ^ ^^ 487 > • ramulis io ^ «*t™ paniculisaue dense appresse 
ser.ceo-tomentosm, foh.s periolaris elliptmo-Wolatis aeuminatis argute in-qjit- dentatis integerlisve 
