135 



The stigma is. punctiitc and green, thus contrasting with the stamens. The to)) of the expanded 

 flower shows a rim or hub round the base of the stigma (top of the ovary) and radiating from it, in the 

 direction of the greatest widths of the staminal rings (greatest lengths of stamens) are four equidistant 

 ribsorspoke-shuped processes whiehenclose four shallow trouglis which an' filled with honey and are therefore 

 nectaries. 



The inflorescence is alike bizarre and beautiful ; the plant is mo.st charming. 



Fresh fruits sent to me from spontaneous trees by Mr. Campbell were up to 2j by 2^ inches (therefore, 

 much larger than those of the tyi)o), with sessile or rudimentary flattened pedicels. 



Bundling or Tuftiness of the Stamens. 



Robert Brown included " Stamens in four polyandrous bundles, alternating 

 with the teeth of the calyx, connate at the base " as a character in his definition of 

 Eudesmia as a genus distinct from Eucalyptus. He dropped the genus as untenaljle, 

 later on, but Bentham (B.Fl. iii, 258) preserved the name to indicate a sub-series (IX) 

 of Eucalyptus, which he called Eudesmiese. His definition of the sub-series includes 

 " Stamens sometimes (my italics) very shortly united in four clusters, alternating with 

 the calyx-teeth." 



The matter of grouping will be dealt with subsequently, at the proper place, 

 but Miss Flockton has produced such an excellent figure (fig. 2g, Plate 184), of the 

 bundling or apparent bundling of the stamens in a large-flowered species such as 

 E. erythfocorys that a few remarks may be offered at this place. In the Eudesmiese 

 we have (so far as the material at our disposal permits us to judge) various degrees of 

 bundling (compare fig. 3c, Plate 185, for another example, E. tetrodonta). E. tetragona 

 and E. eudesmioides will follow in the next part. 



In E. erythrocorys, the white staminal ring (which is ultimately deciduous) is 

 undulate on both margins, becoming wider at the crests or tops of each undulation, 

 of which there are four, and becoming narrowest in each trough. An effect of the 

 narrowness of the staminal ring at the four troughs is that there is a diminution of the 

 number of stamens, since there is less room for them, and thus an appearance of tuftiness 

 or bundling is caused. As a matter of fact there is not, at all events, at the period of 

 the fall of the operculum, any complete break in the continuity of the stamens, though, 

 as the flower develops, there is sohie deciduousness where the trough is deepest. If 

 therefore the use of the word " bundle " or " tuft " means a complete break in the 

 continuity of the stamens, it is incorrect, but there certainly is an appearance of 

 bundling. 



Further, there is variation in the lengths of the filaments, the longest emerging 

 from the crests of each undulation and the shortest at the troughs. This character 

 increases the appearance of tuftiness of the stamens. 



It may be convenient at this place to contrast the stamens of five species of 

 Eudesmiece where I have adequate stamen-material. The material of the other species 

 is not so satisfactory. 



E. erythrocorys (see Plate 184, this Part). The stamens are in four bundles, 

 usually quite round the undulating staminal ring, but there are not so many in the 

 trough, nor so long as those on the crest. The outer row expands last, in the following 

 species the imier row expands last. 



