NOTES ON A NEW TASMANIAN PLANT OF THE 



OEDEE BFEMANNIACE.E. 

 By Bakon Feed.Von Muellee,K.C.M.G„M.D.,PLD.,F.E.S. 



In the early part of November 1890 my attention was 

 directed, by a letter from Mr. L. Eodway, of Hobart, to bis dis- 

 covery of a remarkable plant, parasitic on tbe extreme roots of 

 Aster argophylhis, and from his notes it was evident that this 

 plantwould at all events benew for the recordsof the indigenous 

 vegetation of Tasmania. But as the plant was of fugitive 

 growth and deliquescent structure, no specimens were in the 

 first instance secured or preserved. On my particular request 

 the search was very patiently renewed with the result of one 

 more specimen being procured, well developed, and another 

 bearing an unexpanded flower. These arrived in a good 

 state of preservation, being carefully packed between the 

 fresh leaves of some tender grass. Much to my astonishment 

 I perceived that this long hidden floral treasure was a species 

 of Thismia, of which genus (in its widest sense) as yet some 

 few species are known from southern continental Asia, 

 Ceylon, the Sunda-Islands, New Guinea and tropical South 

 America. On careful dissection the Tasmanian congener 

 proved very distinct from all others. Thus, then, we became 

 suddenly acquainted with a member of this otherwise intra- 

 tropical genus from the remotest southern part of the Australian 

 dominions, from whence indeed this would have been least 

 expected ; nevertheless, the order of Burmanniaceae is repre- 

 sented by one species of the typical genus, namely Burmannia 

 disticha, down to a very far southern position in New South 

 Wales, and also just outside the tropics from Nepal, while 

 another, B. biflora, advances northward to Virginia, and a 

 species of Apteria, A. setacea, gains its northern boundary in 

 Florida. 



Before offering any further general observations, I shall 

 detail descriptively the characteristics of the co-ordinal 

 Tasmanian plant. 



Thismia Eodwayi. 

 (Bagnisia Rodwayi, F.v.M., m.s.c.) 

 Stem to about two inches long, flexuous, colourless, like all 

 other parts of the plant glabrous; leaves scattered, rudi- 

 mentary bractlike, semilanceolar, acuminate, devoid of colour; 

 flower solitary, terminal, of putrid odour, closely supported by 

 a much shorter involucre of three appressed equidistant 

 semilanceolar bracts; calyx about § inch long, somewhat 



