178 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



of the peduncle seldom above 2 inches long. Pedicels to yi inch 

 long, but often much shorter. Bracts minute, linear-semilanceolar. 

 Corolla hardly % inch long, its lobes five, oval, distinctly 

 imbricate, but only slightly twisted before expansion. Filaments 

 very short. Anthers comparatively large, fixed above the finally 

 bi-lobed base, upwards narrowly ellipsoid. Fruit about ^ inch 

 long and nearly as broad, slightly protruding beyond the calyx- 

 tube, short-pubescent at the summit. Placentaries expanded into 

 two narrow divaricate plates. The blunt-based leaves, the short 

 panicle with flowers more conspicuously pedicellate and the 

 corolla-tube thickest towards the middle distinguishes this species 

 already from the majority of its congeners, whereas the situation 

 of the stamens separates at once the Australian one from all 

 others, unless — as in W. psychotroides — a dimorphism should 

 occur also in this new Wendlandia, the state with exserted 

 stamens then yet remaining unknown. 



The discovery of a Wendlandia as Australian does not come 

 altogether unexpectedly, because I had previously shown the 

 genus to occur in New Guinea; the species there, W. buddleacea, is 

 however very different from that of Queensland just described in 

 the form of its leaves, in the disposition of its flowers and in the 

 placement of the stamens, though the corolla is similar as well in 

 shape as in size ; but the only Papuan species, as yet known, may 

 be identical with one of the Indian, although seemingly not with 

 W. paniculata, to which De Candolle adscribes nearly sessile 

 leaves and Sir J. Hooker rounded calyx-lobes. Nevertheless the 

 variability of the species of Wendlandia may be far greater, than 

 hitherto admitted, particularly also through biformous flowers ; 

 indeed these plants can effectually be dealt with for fixing their 

 diagnoses only by studies in their native homes, the carpologic 

 characteristics deserving also yet closer attention. 



To the genus Wendlandia as a second Australian species is 

 referable Oldenlandia psychotroides., as I now find the preflorescence 

 of the corolla-lobes to be broadly imbricate. It is remarkable 

 among congeneric plants already for the broad yet very short 

 tube of the corolla, barely as long as the lobes. The reliable 

 generic differences between Rondeletia and Wendlandia require 

 also yet further to be contrasted. 



Wrightia Baccelliana. 



Branchlets densely beset with spreading hairlets ; leaves on 

 very short petioles, from subcordate- to lanceolar-ovate, seldom 

 quite lanceolar, narrowly acuminate, above scantily but beneath 

 more copiously bearing short hairlets ; flowers rather small, in 

 axillary and terminal short cymes, occasionally only three together 

 or even fewer, extensively beset with short spreading hairlets ; 

 segments of the calyx lanceolar, pointed, devoid of conspicuous 



