268 FLORA OF TASMANIA. \Apocynea. 
panicula terminali erecta contracta, floribus brevissime pedicellatis, pedicellis bracteolis parvis linearibus 
membranaceis deciduis instructis, calyce parvo 5-lobo corolla multoties breviore, filamentis gracilibus. — 
Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 850. An R. dracophyllse varietas alpina, Br.? Prodr. 555. {Gunn, 292, 2049.) 
Hab. Summit of Mount Wellington, Mount Sorrell, Valentine's Peak, Surry Hills, etc., elev. 3000- 
4000 feet, Lawrence, etc.— (FL Dec, Jan.) {v. v.) 
This, I assume, is the small variety of R. dracophylla, to which Brown alludes as being only 1| foot high, and 
growing at the top of Mount Wellington. If it be really a variety of that plant (which Gunn does not conceive to 
be possible), it is singular that it should be so common on the Tasmanian mountains, where R. dracophylla does 
not exist. What differences there are between them reside chiefly in size and habit, this being only one to five 
feet high, and having very robust branches, covered with closely-imbricating, erect or recurved, rigid, narrow (some- 
times subulate) leaves, l|-3 inches long. The flowers are the same with those of R. dracophylla, and vary from 
white to pink and orange-coloured. Gunn says that this is not a variable species, but retains its habit and character 
as well in exposed as sheltered situations ; it always forms a very dense bush, and it is called the "Honey-plant." 
Nat. Ord. L. OLEINEiE. 
The few genera of this Natural Order inhabiting Australia are Olea, Chionanthm, and Notelcea, in- 
cluding together about ten species, all inhabiting the eastern half of the continent, and extending from the 
north coast to Tasmania. Some form large trees, and several New South Wales species of Notelcea yield 
valuable timber. 
Gen. I. NOTEL^A, Vent. 
Calyx minimus, 4-dentatus. Petala 4, basi inter se ope staminum per paria coheerentia, concava. Sta- 
mina 2 j filamentis dilatatis ; antheris adnatis. Ovarium 2-loculare ; loculis 2-ovulatis ; ovulis ex apice septi 
pendulis. Stigma subsessile, emarginato-bilobum. Brupa carnosa; putamine chartaceo, 1-loculari, bipar- 
tibili, abortu 1-spermo. Semen pendulum; embryone in axi albuminis carnosi recto ; cotyledonibus folia- 
ceis ; radicula brevi, supera.— Frutices v. arbores ; ramis teretihus ; foliis oppositis, integerrimis ; floribus 
parvis, axillarihus, corymbom. 
Almost exclusively an Australian genus, consisting of six or seven species of shrubs or trees, with opposite, 
quite entire, coriaceous leaves, and axillary corymbs of minute green flowers.— Calyx minute, four-cleft. Stamens 
two, short, placed between the petals, which cohere at their bases in pairs. Ovary two-celled, with two pendulous 
ovules in each cell. Fruit a drupe, with an oblong, hard, bipartite, coriaceous nut, containing one to four pendu- 
lous, albuminous seeds.— The N. ligustrina forms a bush 6-8 feet high, or more rarely a small tree of 30 feet. 
Branches slender. Leaves coriaceous, petioled, lanceolate, acute or obtuse, opaque on both surfaces. Flowers in 
corymbose panicles, shorter than the leaves. Pedicels slender. Calyx-lobes acute. Drupes oblong, purple, two to 
four-seeded, varying in colour from white to pink and purple. (Name from votos, the south, and eXata, an olive.) 
1. Notelsea ligustrina (Vent. Choix, 25) ; foliis lanceolatis opacis subtus punctatis, calycis lobis 
acutis.— Br. Prodr. 524 ; BC. Prodr. viii. 291. {Gunn, 374.) 
Hab. Common by banks of rivers, and on the skirts of woods.— (Fl. Feb.) {v. v.) 
Distmb. South-eastern Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria. 
Nat. Ord. LI. APOCYNE^E. 
Of this extensive Order comparatively very few (about thirty) Australian species are known j these, 
with the exception of Lyomia and Alyxia, are almost confined to the tropics, and chiefly to the north-east 
