THE VlCTOPaAN NATURALIST. 51 



Near the base of the Owen Stanley's Eange; H. 0. Forbes 

 (476,904.) Young branchlets thinly brownish-tomentose. Leaf- 

 stalkes 7-5 inches long. Leaves, so far as seen, measuring about 8 

 inches; the'r margin somewhat wavy; the lobes comparatively short, 

 deltoid-semiorbicular and but slightly acuminate; primary nerves 

 very >alid, secondary much spreading and on the under side of the 

 leaves prominent; veins much transverse and reticulated with the 

 copious veinlets. Panicles a few inches long. Flower-buds nearly 

 ovate. Calyces when well developed measuring nearly an inch in 

 length; the lobes induplicate-valvate, the exterior portion thicker, 

 semilanceolar, the inner bent portion rather membranous, nearly 

 half as broad as the other, subtle-velvety ouside, through expansion 

 rendering the lobes almost serai-elliptical and therefore blunt, the 

 edge tomentose-bearded. Gymnophore very short at flowering 

 time, sulcated, glabrous. Appendages terminating the staminal 

 column about ^ inch long, glabrous. No distinct scales inside around 

 thebase of tb.e calyx. Fruit not seen. 



This plant is not unlike J?. ^a?-ac?oa;M7n as regards the form of 

 the leaves, but the flowers are very much smaller and in many 

 respects of a different structure, their disposition being also quite 

 dissimilar. The leaves remind also of those of Sterculia macrophylla^ 

 but there is no resemblance of the flowers. 



I have ventured, to place this evidently new plant into the genus 

 Brachy chiton, although the fruits were not available to the discoverer; 

 but the broad indnplication of the calyx-lobes indicates this generic 

 position; — for although E. Brown referred already to an induplicate- 

 valvate cal^'x a3 occurring exceptionally in genuine species of 

 Sterculia, he instancing S. villosa, — yet in these eases the unexpanded 

 calyx-lobes are only infracted narrowly, and never to that remarkable 

 extent, which characterizes the primary section of the genus 

 Br achy chiton; but Octolohus has an induplicate destivation also. 

 In connecting the name of the distinguished Chief Administrator 

 of the Phytologic Department of the British Museum with this new 

 plant, Mr. Cairuthers will recognise my wish, to allude thereby also 

 to the researches of his illustrious predecessor, E. Brown, both in 

 the gieat national establishment and in the Linnean Society, it now 

 falling to his share to preside over the forthcoming centenary 

 jubilee of that renowned and vcne ble union. An ojiportunity is 

 also afforded me simultaneously of acknowledging concessions, 

 disinterestedly made by him, through which the elucidation of a 

 large number of the Papuan plants, brought together already by the 

 courageous and accomplished Mr. H. 0. Forbes, Avill — if divine 

 providence grants me life and strength — fall to my lot, he and his 

 adjutors engaging also on some portion of this task. 



Brachychiton ■paradoxum was traced by the writer already in 1855 

 and 1856 during Gregory's Expedition from the Victoria- River to 



