60 FLORA OF TASMANIA. ; | Liliacee. 
way up the inner leaflets; all included, with very slender filaments and small yellow anthers. Ovary trigonous. 
(Named in honour of E. Laxmann, a Siberian traveller.) 
l. Laxmannia minor (Br. Prodr. 286) ; caulibus dense ceespitosis tenuibus ramosis, foliis fascicu- 
latis curvis acerosis (pollicaribus), stipulis longe ciliatis, capitulis sessilibus 6—8-floris, bracteis exterioribus 
subciliatis, interioribus plerisque margine integris, perianthii foliolis exterioribus scariosis lineari- v. oblongo- 
lanceolatis acutis involutis, interioribus lineari-oblongis obtusiusculis membranaceis exterioribus dimidio 
minoribus.—Kunth, En. iv. 642. (Gunn, 968.) 
Has. Heathy places: abundant in some of the north parts of the Colony, and at Georgetown, Circu- 
lar Head, and Asbestos Hills, Gwnn.—(Fl. Oct.) 
DisrnrB. Victoria, Robertson; Swan River, Drummond, 
Gen. XII. ASTELIA, Banks et Sol. 
Flores sericei, polygamo-dioici, racemosi v. paniculati. Perianthium rotatum v. campanulatum, 6-par- 
titum, patens. Stamina 6, in floribus foemineis minimis castratis. Ovarium 3-gonum, 1—3-loculare; ovulis 
plurimis v. paucis, axillaribus parietalibusve; stylo erecto, apice trilobo v. 0 ; stigmatibus sessilibus. Bacca 
ovoidea v. globosa, carnosa, 1- v. 3-locularis. Semina pauca v. plurima; testa atra, crustacea, nitida; albu- 
mine carnoso; embryone brevi.— Herbs perennes; radicibus fibrosis; foliis elongatis, radicalibus subtrifa- 
riam imbricatis, longe vaginantibus, vaginis membranaceis, utrinque vel subtus villis argenteis sericeis furfu- 
raceis paleaceisve compressis obtectis, basibus longissime dense villosis; scapo erecto, pariter villoso, apice 
ramoso. 
The plants comprised in Astelia and Milligania are so different from most Liliacee, that they may be regarded 
as a separate group, though whether entitled to rank as another Order or not must be a matter of doubt at present. 
Most of them resemble some Melanthacee in habit far more than they do any Liliacee, and some of them have 
separable styles, but others have a single terminal style; none have extrorse anthers, and all have black erustaceous 
integuments to the seed. Astelia consists of about ten species, chiefly natives of New Zealand (where most are 
large epiphytes), but some inhabit the Polynesian Islands, one Fuegia, and another the alps of Tasmania and Vic- 
toria, and one is confined to Tasmania. ` All are herbaceous plants, with thick fibrous roots, numerous narrow 
radical leaves, covered, as are all other parts in most of the species, with silvery, furfuraceous or woolly hairs; 
many are dicecious.— Flowers in panicles or branched racemes, generally green or yellowish, seldom conspicuous. 
Perianth of the male campanulate or rotate, deeply six-lobed, of the female rotate or urceolate, sometimes enclosing 
the fruit. Stamens six, inserted on the perianth, rudimentary in the female flower; ‚filaments subulate or fili- 
form; anthers linear or broad. Ovary one- or three-celled, with one three-lobed style, or three sessile stigmas. 
Berry globose or ovoid, one- or three-celled, with many or few parietal or axile seeds. (Name from aocreXexos, 
wanting a stem.) 
1. Astelia alpina (Br. Prodr. 291); foliis linearibus lanceolatis ensiformibusve, panicula foeminea 
densa, mascula laxa, antheris filamentisque brevibus, ovario oblongo, stigmatibus 3 subsessilibus, placentis 
3 parietalibus, ovulis plurimis, seminibus paucis breviter oblongis, testa levi nitida.— Hook. Bot. Misc. i. 
p. 5. 4. 3; Kunth, En. iii. 264. (Gunn, 162.) 
Has. Abundant on all the mountains, in wet places.— (Fl. Dec.) 
DisrRrB. Alps of Victoria, Mueller. 
The 4. alpina forms dense matted tufts of silvery foliage on mountain bogs, etc.— Leaves very variable in 
size, length and breadth, and form, 4-14 inches long, lanceolate, ensiform, or linear, with densely silky, villous, 
membranous, sheathing bases. Scapes shorter than the leaves, erect, also densely silky with long soft hairs; female 
bearing short, dense, bracteate panicles of flowers; male panicle more lax and spreading. Bracts leafy. Perianth 
