62 FLORA OF TASMANIA. [Juncee. 
diameter at the base, formed of the sheathing bases of the leaves, which are surrounded by the fibres of decayed foliage. 
Leaves shorter or longer than the scape, 1-3 feet long, 3-2 inches broad, linear, gradually tapering at the top to a 
long point, grassy-green, ribbed when dry, more or less silky or villous towards the base and along the midrib. 
Scape villous, 1-2 feet high, branched above the middle, bearing below that one or two narrow, linear-subulate, 
amplexicaul leaves. Panicle bracteate at the axils; dractee lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, generally elongate ; 
branches slender, spreading ; pedicels slender, cernuous, covered with silky wool, bearing small, linear, membranous 
bracteolee at the base. Flowers 4 inch broad, white, not jointed on to the pedicel. Perianth entire and cup-shaped 
at the base, then divided into six (rarely five or seven) linear-oblong, blunt lobes, that are imbricate and somewhat 
involute in estivation. Stamens small, inserted at the base of the segments; filaments subulate. Anthers small, 
versatile, two-lobed. Ovary sunk in the base of the perianth, and adherent at its base with it, oblong, three-lobed, 
with three subulate recurved stigmas, three-celled, with many axile, ascending ovules. Capsule oblong, membra- 
nous, three-lobed, three-celled, dehiscing to the middle down the axis, each cell splitting at the summit only, the 
divisions crowned by the persistent styles, which are also split in halves. Seeds few or many, linear, ascending, 
covered with a brittle, black, shining testa, that is contracted at either end of the seed. In small specimens the 
leaves are a span long, and J— inch broad. 
2. Milligania densiflora (Nob. in Hook. Kew Journ. Bot. l.c. p. 298); foliis coriaceis patulis e 
basi lata vaginante gradatim angustatis acuminatis late subulato-lanceolatis lineari-subulatisve sparse sericeo- 
pilosis, scapo robusto sericeo-villoso, bracteis ovato-lanceolatis concavis longe acuminatis infima basi longe 
amplexicauli vaginante, vagina integra membranacea, panicula ovata densiflora ramis ramulisque robustis. 
Has. Mount Sorrell, Macquarrie Harbour, Dr. Milligan.—(Fl. Dec.) 
A very different-looking plant from the preceding, with much shorter, more coriaceous foliage, sheathing lower 
bracts, robust scape, broader bractlets, and dense panicle.— Zeaves coriaceous, 8-10 inches long, gradually tapering 
from a broad, sheathing base, 1-13 inch broad, to an acuminate point, sparingly covered with silky hairs. Scape 
woolly with silky hairs; robust, with one or two large, ovate, concave, leafy bracts, that have long, entire, amplexi- 
caul sheaths and tapering apices. Panicle 1-6 inches long; branches short, with concave leafy bracts; flowers 
crowded, 4 inch across, white. 
Nar. Or. XII. JUNCEA. 
Following Brown and Lindley, I have brought Xerotes under this Order, which, like most others of 
Monocotyledones of any extent, comprehends plants of very various habits and appearance. All agree in 
their six-parted perianth, which is generally scarious or coriaceous, and brown or green, but it is coloured 
and petaloid in some genera, and highly coloured and scarious in Calectasia. Of Juncee proper there are 
about twenty-five Australian species, most of them having very wide ranges, and few being confined to 
Australia and Tasmania; on the other hand, Xerotes is a remarkably local genus of plants. 
Gen. I. XEROTES, Br. 
Flores dioici. Perianthium 6-partitum, viride v. subcoloratum. Masc. foliola interiora v. omnia basi 
coherentia. Stamina 6, perianthio inserta; antheris peltatis. Pistilli rudımentum. Fam. Perianthii 
foliola distincta, persistentia. Stamina cassa. Ovarium 3-loculare; s¢ylis 3, basi connatis ; ovulis loculis 
solitariis. Capsula coriacea, v. subbaccata, corticata, 3-locularis, loculicide 3-valvis. 
membranacea, interdum laxa et axilleformi; alumine cartilagineo ; embryone recto. 
perennes, habitu varie; radice fibrosa; caule nullo v. rarius elongato, folioso, 
radicalibus, linearibus, planis cylindraceisve, basibus scariosis, 
ramosisve ; inflorescentia varia, capitata, 
cellatisve ; bracteis scariosis. 
Semina peltata; testa 
—Herbe rigida, aride, 
ramoso ; folis plerisque 
semivaginantibus ; scapis rigidis, simplicibus 
spicata, racemosa v. paniculata ; floribus parvis, sessilibus pedi- 
D 
