210 FLORA OF TASMANIA. [Composite. 
mentose on the back, the margins and apex membranous, sometimes purple. Flowers uniform, tubular, four- or five- 
toothed. Anthers with no tails, or extremely short ones, if (as described by De Candolle) they are really present. 
Achenkm long, slender, and surmounted by a filiform beak that carries the slender, scabrid hairs of the pappus, 
when moistened surrounded with a mucous coat. (Origin of name unknown to me.) 
Gen. XXVI. HELICHRYSIJM, Vaill. 
Capitulum multiflorum, homoganram v. heterogamum ; floribus omnibus hermaphroditis tubulosis 
5-dentatis, v. paucis in ambitu faemineis gracillimis. Involucri squamse scariosse, imbricatse, interiores 
conniventes v. radiantes. Receptacidum planum, epaleaceum, nudum, areolatum v. fimbrilliferum. 
Aehenium erostre, sessile. Pappus 1-seriaHs, setis scaberulis liberis v. basi inter se varie concretis. — 
Herbae v. suffruticuli, liabitn varies ; foliis alternis ; capitulis scapos elongatos v. ramos foliatos nudosve 
terminantibm j involucris flavis albis roseisve ; floribus plerisque luteis. 
This fine genus is for the most part South African and Australian, but few species being found in South 
Europe, Asia, the African Islands, and New Zealand. About fifty Australian species are known, the majority 
of which are natives of the south-eastern quarter of the Continent or of Tasmania ; several are common to the 
south-eastern and south-western quarters, and there are also several species confined to the Tropics. All are herbs, 
or have shrubby stems below, often woolly, generally showy capitula ; some have scapes, others branching stems. 
The colour of the involucre is usually either white or yellow, but a few are pink, and some vary from white to deep 
golden yellow.— Leaves cauline and alternate or radical and tufted. Flowers either all hermaphrodite, tubular 
and five-cleft, or a few in the circumference female and very slender, on a flat or conical, smooth, areolated or 
fimbrilliferous receptacle. Involucre of many dry, scarious, imbricating scales, the inner long and radiating, or 
short and conniving. Pappus of one row of long, rough hairs (not plumose), all free or connected at the base. 
(Name a Greek one, erroneously supposed to have been applied to a European species ©f this or an allied genus.) 
§ 1. Chrysolepidea. — Involucral scales with bright yellow rays. 
1. Helichrysum bracteatum (Willd. En. Plant. 869) ; herbaceum, caule simplici v. ramoso sca- 
berulo v. glaberrimo superne interdum tomentoso, foliis lineari- v. oblongo-lanceolatis linearibusve acuminatis 
canlinis sessilibus v. ^-amplexicaulibus marginibus recurvis subrepando-sinuatis integerrimisve superne 
scaberulis subtus glaberrimis v. utrinque glaberrimis, capitulis magnis intense aureis, involucri glaberrimi 
squamis chartaceo-scariosis eoncavis exterioribus ovatis subacutis interiorihus breviter stipitatis radiantibus 
oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis, achenio glaberrimo. — H. bracteatum et H. acuminatum, DC. Prodr. vi. 188. 
H. macrocephalum, A. Cunn. H. Banksii, A. Cum.; DC. 1. c. H. bicolor, Lindl. Bot. Peg. t. 1814. 
H. chrysanthum, Pers. Ench. ii. 414. Xeranthemum bracteatum, Vent. Malm. ii. t. 2. (Gunn, 111, 244, 
247, 687, 688, 838.) 
Variat insigniter ; sfatura 6 unc. ad 3-pedali, habitu robusto v. gracili, simplici v. ramoso ; caulilus 
strictis v. flexuosis, foliosis v. nudis, apice bracteatis v. ebracteatis, glaberrimis v. hispidulis v. superne 
araneo-tomeutosis ; foliis radicalibus spathulato-lanceolatis amplis v. caulinis subsimilibus, eaulinis 1-4- 
pollicaribus anguste linearibus v. oblongo-lanceolatis rarius spathulatis sparsis confertisve scaberulis glaber- 
rimisve basi sessilibus, semiamplexicaulibus v. biauriculatis ; capitulis 1-2| unc. latis intense aureis v. fid. 
DC. albis ; involucri squamis exterioribus subacutis, acutis, acuminatisve. 
Hab. Abundant throughout the Island, especially in marshy situations, ascending to 4000 feet eleva- 
tion.-^. Xov.-Jan.) (v. v.) 
Disteib. Throughout Australia, from Port Essington on the north coast to Victoria and Swan River, 
ascending to 6000 feet on the Australian Alps, Mueller. (Cultivated in England.) 
