286 



DESCRIPTION. 



CV. E. angustissima, F.v.M. 



In Fragm. Ph>jt. Aiisf. iv, 25 (Sept., 1863;. 

 Following is a translation of the original description : — 



Shrubby, with branches soon terete, with broad-linear leaves densely dotted (italics in the original. 

 •J.H.M.), with transparent dots, alternate, finely pointed, shortly petiolate or almost sessile, equally 

 coloured on both sides, shining, inconspicuously veined, with solitary, axillary, shortly pedunculate 

 umbels of 2 to 4 flowers on very short pedicels, with a semi-ovate or sub-conical operculum nearly half 

 as long again as the hemispherical non-ribbed calyx tube, with minute sub-cordate anthers, nearhj 

 hemispherical fruits, slightly contracted at the orifice, 3 or rarely 4-celled, with short deltoid valves, and 

 fertile unwinged seeds conspicuously larger than the sterile ones. 



Between Point Malcolm and Point Dover. Maxwell. (Places about 1.50 miles apart, at the 

 western .side of .the Great Australian Bight). 



Leaves coriaceous, mostly 2 to 3 inches Icjng and li lines broad, with a curved or hooked point. 

 Peduncles nearly terete. Bud about 2 lines long. Filaments white. Fruits I ^ to 2 lines long. 



The species leans towards E. gracilis and E. oleosa. It should" also be compared with E. unainata. 



Then it was described by Bcntham in B.M. iii, 238, who supplements the 

 description, j)artly from Maxwell's notes, as follows : — 



\ bushy shrub of .5 feet, tlowers only seen in bud, fruit depressed-globular, about 3 lines diameter, 

 contracted at the orifice, the rim convex, the capsule on a level with it, the valves worn away in the 

 specimens seen. 



In his Forest Resonrces of Western Australia (1882) Mueller describes it 

 in English, with a plate (No. 15). 



It is not figured in the Encaliiptographia. 



The material extant of this species is imperfect, ripe buds, flowers, and 

 juvenile foliage not being availal)le, while a .sei'ies of ripe fruits would be very 

 desirable. 



A final pronouncement as to its afliuities cannot yet be uttered. 



I believe the anthers drawn in the plate in Mueller's Forest Besources of 

 Western Australia to be immature, while those I have figiu-ed at 8a, Plate 84, 

 certainly are, having been taken from an undeveloped bud. 



Mueller draws attention to its possible value as an oil-yielding plant. 



RANGE. 



We know it at present from a limited distance along the coast-line of the 

 Great Australian Bight, in Western Australian territory. 



Mueller, in his description, gives between Point Malcolm and Point Dover. 

 Bentham, quoting a label of Maxwell's, gives " Point Malcolm and eighty miles 



