180 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW AUSTRALIAN PLANTS, WITH 

 OCCASIONAL OTHER ANNOTATIONS ; 



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

 (Continued.) 

 Haplostichanthus. 



Sepals three, deltoid, early valvate ; petals six, uniseriate- 

 valvate in bud, completely connate towards the base, thus 

 forming a six-lobed corolla, three of the lobes deltoid, three 

 doubly as long and almost semi-elliptic, all remaining much 

 connivent ; torus depressed ; stamens about 30, ob-pyramidate- 

 cuneate, their connectives at the summit slightly convex or 

 almost truncate and somewhat peltate, concealing the cells ; 

 ovularies six, with sessile depressed stigmas ; fruit unknown. 

 Shrub with comparatively small chartaceous leaves, and with 

 short-stalked, solitary, dark-coloured flowers of remarkable 

 smallness. 



This new anonaceous genus seems best placed into the tribe of 

 Mitrophorese, but it agrees with the otherwise very different 

 Hexalobus in the downward conspicuously connate petals. As 

 regards the six petaline parts, placed in a single row, this plant 

 seems to stand alone in the whole order, large as it is. The 

 circumscription however of many of the genera needs revision 

 also in this order, as much new material has been obtained 

 during later years, affecting the generic limits as drawn formerly. 

 The style and stigma offer good notes for primary distinctions 

 also. 



Haplostichanthus Johnsoni. 

 Mount Bartle-Frere ; Stephen Johnson. 

 Aspect — that of Alphonsea Zeylanica. 



Young branchlets thinly pubescent. Leaves almost sessile, 

 rather narrowly lanceolar, acuminate, but at the base obliquely 

 rounded, when young scantily beset with appressed hairlets, 

 subsequently glabrescent, paler green beneath, from one to 

 three inches long, yz to nearly 1 inch broad, thinly venulated. 

 Peduncles recurved, measuring at flowering time yi inch or less, 

 occasionally supported at the base by a spinescently indurated 

 bud. Sepals about j-^ inch long, pale-brown. Flowers as small 

 as those of Bocagea pisocarpa, Polyalthia Moonii and Papowia 

 australis, measuring, even when flattened out, only y$ inch 

 in diameter. Corolla outside beset with minute appressed hair- 

 lets, the connate portion quite as long as the three deltoid lobes, 

 without any sutural indications ; the three longer lobes somewhat 

 triangular at the summit. Stamens only about -£% inch long. 

 Ovularies silky, during anthesis not emerging beyond the 

 stamens. 



