108 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW AUSTEALIAN PLANTS ; 



By Baron von Mueller, K.CM.G , M. & Ph.D., F.R.S. 



(Continued.) 



Elachanthera. 



Sepals and petals nearly equal, narrow-oblong, almost nerve- 

 less, persistent. Stamens six, equal, free ; filaments linear, 

 membranous ; anthers minute, roundish-ovate, two-celled, burst- 

 ing longitudinally. Pollen-grains oblique-ovate, smooth. Style 

 lax, thin, undivided. Stigma very minute. Ovary three-celled. 

 Berry succulent. Seeds usually solitary in each cell, mostly 

 globular ; strophiole none ; testa crustaceous, black ; albumen 

 almost horny; embryo situated in the lower half of the albumen, 

 ellipsoid-cylindrical, straight. — A climber of Western subtropi- 

 cal Australia ; glabrous in all its parts ; leaves alternate, charta- 

 ceous, oblong-or ovate-lanceolar, nearly sessile, subtlemany- 

 nerved ; flower-stalklets short, bracteate at the base, articulate 

 near the turgescent summit ; flowers small, pale ; berries some- 

 what red. 



This new genus differs from Enargea in really twining habit, 

 persistent sepals and petals, form of anthers, not pale nor mem- 

 branous testa and perhaps inflorescence ; — from Calcoa in the 

 disposition of the flowers, not several-nerved sepals and petals, 

 broader and longer filaments, very short anthers and small not 

 clavate embryo. 



Elachanthera Sewelliae. 



In the vicinity of Nickol-Bay; sent by Miss Julia Sewell. 

 A climber, called by the local aborigines, '• Gl-narboola" or 

 *' Narba." Branchlets very thin, prominently angular, some- 

 what flexuose. Leaves (on the only fragmentary specimer> 

 obtained) i — ih inches long, f — | inch broad, shining and equally 

 green on both sides, roundish-blunt at the base, acute at the 

 summit. Stalklets capillary, about ^ inch long, beset at the base 

 with broadish short membranous bracts. Sepals and petals 

 hardly i inch long, quite glabrous pale at least in age, tender- 

 membranous, thickened at the median line. Filaments flaccid, 

 pointed upwards. Anthers smooth, fixed near the base dorsally, 

 pale-yellowishj widely bursting. Style only about i inch long, 

 upwards somewhat thickened. Berry of about \ inch length and 

 breadth. Seeds globular, or when paired in iheir cell almost 

 trigonous, of about ^-^ inch length ; testa shining, slightly 

 wrinkled Albumen of rather darkish coloration. Embryo 

 less than half as long as the albumen, whitish. 



In setting forth the main-distinctions of this plant, I alluded 

 to two allied genera, the appellations of which seem restorable. 



