330 FLORA OF TASMANIA. \Thymele<S. 
Nat. Ord. LXX. THYMELE^E. 
In its profusion of peculiar Thymelea extratropical Australia presents a parallel to Southern Africa, 
though in that country there are even a greater number of species, and they belong to many more genera. 
In Australia all fall under Pimelea itself, with the exception of a very few species of the tropical or sub- 
tropical genus Wikstrcemia, a single one of Macrostegia (a genus closely allied to Pimelea), and one of 
Drapeles. 
Gen. I. DRAPETES, Lam. 
Perianthium tubulosum, limbo 4-fido, tubo supra basin articulato v. inarticulato, fauce squamata v. 
esquamata. Stamina 4, fauce inserta. Stylus lateralis ; stigmate capitato v. plumoso. Nux ecorticata. — 
Fruticuli sericei, muscoidei v. ericoulei ; foliis Unearibus, mlricatis ; floribus solitariis paucisve, terminali- 
A small and extremely natural genus, consisting of five species remarkably distributed, one being found in 
Fuegia, a second on the lofty mountain of Kini Balu in Borneo, two on the mountains of New Zealand, and one 
in Tasmania. All are small, more or less silky, herb-like shrubs, with prostrate, creeping, tufted stems, and slender 
branches covered with imbricating, linear, entire leaves. Flowers small, terminal, sunk amongst the leaves. Pe- 
rianth tubular, with four spreading lobes, the tube continuous or jointed near the base, four stamens at the throat, 
alternating with four scales in some species, and eight glands in others. Ovary with a lateral style.— The genus 
has been divided into two, from the presence or absence of the scales on the perianth, the continuous or jointed tube, 
which is angled or terete, and the plumose or capitate stigma ; but if these characters are all adopted, the genus 
must be broken up into several. Of these genera Drapetes has no glands on the perianth, and Kelleria, Endl., to 
which the Tasmanian and New Zealand species belong, has glands and a non-articulate perianth.— The J). Tas- 
mania is a densely-tufted, prostrate plant, forming large matted cushions on the mountains, with slender inter- 
laced stems 4-8 inches long, and slender branches, covered with imbricating, erect, linear leaves. Leaves 1-1£ 
line long, concave, obtuse, silky at the back. Perianth terminal, silky, sessile, subinfundibulifonn, rather longer 
than the leaves ; tube obscurely angled, not jointed ; lobes as long as the tube, linear. Stamens exserted. Glands 
eight, spherical, in pairs between the stamens. Style curved, included; stigma capitate. Nut black, shining. 
(Name, Spairerr/s, a runaway ; in allusion to the fugacious perianth.) 
1. Drapetes Tasmanica (Nob. in Kew Journ. Bot. v. p. 299. t. vii. anno 1853) ; densissime 
csespitosa, foliis erectis imbricatis linearibus dense sericeis obtusis concavis, perianthii tubo elongato sub- 
angulato non articulato, fauce glandulis 8 per paria laciniis oppositis instructa, laciniis tubo eequilongis. 
(Gunn, 2053.) 
Hab. Summits of the Western Mountains, abundant, Gunn.— (FL Jan.) 
Distrib. Victoria j Munyang Mountains, elev. 6000 feet, Mueller. 
Gen. II. PIMELEA, &;*. 
Perianthium infundibuliforme, limbo 4-fido ; fauce esquamata. Stamina 1-2, fauce inserta. Stylus 
lateralis; stigmate capitato. Nux corticata v. baccata.— Frutices v. fruticuli graciles, cortice tenacissimo ; 
folns cppmltk rarius alter nh ymmsve, lategerrim h w.bcoriaceis ; capitulis sapissime foliis difformibus in- 
volucraUs, terminally, rarius axillaris subspicatisve ; floribus albis roseis v.flavis, interdum dioicis. 
A very beautiful genus, comprising some of the most elegant flowering shrubs in Australia and Tasmania ; it 
is confined to those countries and to New Zealand. Upwards of seventy species are known to me, which grow in 
