136 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.) 



^scHYNOMENE ASPERA ; Linne, sp. plant, 713. 



Port Darwin ; N. Holtze. 



Under the designation oligarfhra, a variety of this plant or a 

 closely allied species, as gathered recently Sy Mr. Holtze jun., 

 can be distinguished from the typical Asiatic and African form 

 in somewhat broader fruits, consisting only of one or two or 

 three pieces, conspicuously crisped at the margin, but not much 

 asperous at the sides ; moreover the corolla of the Australian 

 plant is hardly beset with any hairlets, while the lower petals along 

 the outer margin are rigidulously fringed, which reminds of what 

 Wight and Arnott stated in this respect about A. Suratteiisis. 

 Our plant needs yet further study in free nature. 



SWAINSONA CYCLOCARPA. 



Laxe, scantily beset with very short hairlets ; leaves generally 

 5-7 foliolate ; leaflets from cuneate- to obcordate-ovate ; 

 flowers several in each raceme, rather small, on very short 

 stalklets ; lobes of the calyx semilanceolar-deltoid, shorter than 

 the tube \ petals glabrous, upwards violet or lilac-coloured, the 

 lower almost semiorbicular, blunt, hardly longer than the two 

 lateral petals ; style imperfectly ciliolate at the inner side towards 

 the upper end, pencillate behind the stigma ; fruit comparatively 

 small, hippocrepic- or annular-curved, undular- and rugular- 

 asperous, glabrescent, turgid, devoid of a conspicuous stipe, long- 

 pointed at the apex, imperfectly bilocular by intrusion of the 

 valves from the upper suture ; seeds several, brownish. 



Near the Macdonell-Ranges ; Kev. W. F. Schwartz. 



Plant about one foot long, slender-rooted and therefore 

 perhaps annual, although the specimens obtained may represent 

 first year's seedlings only. Leaflets j4-i inch long. Stipules 

 sometimes considerably enlarged, but often small. Calyx hardly 

 above ^ inch long. Petals measuring about ^ inch in length, 

 the upper without very conspicuous callosities and all without 

 twists. Fruits nearly or fully i inch long, but from its strong 

 curvature appearing to be much shorter, scarcely 34^ inch thick, 

 lacunous-foveolar and with sharp prominences, pale, seemingly 

 indehiscent. Seeds shining when well matured, smooth. 



This species is singularly well marked by the almost circularly 

 curved peculiarly rugulous fruit. In some respects it approaches 

 6". I'rachycarpa, in others 6". oligophylla and ^. occidentalis. Dr. 



