THE PITTOSPOIIUM TRIBE. 27 



lapis lazuli blue, resembling nothing so much in colour, 

 and, to appearance, even in texture, as the fine deep 

 blue of the porcelain of Sevres. It has small greenish- 

 yellow bell-shaped flowers, and Botanists call it Billar- 

 diera ; in Van Diemen's Land, where it is extremely 

 common, the name of Apple-berry is applied indiscri- 

 minately to all the species. This most lovely fruit, 

 although, as I shall presently shew you, nearly akin to 

 the Vine, has none of its delicious flavour, but is a 

 mere mass of cottony, or rather spong}', dry pulp, 

 w^hich would be tasteless if it were not for a dash of 

 turpentine which is perceivable. If you do not possess 

 the Billardieras already, let me advise you immediately 

 to procure them for the low treillage in front of the 

 conservatory, where they may be kept very well in mild 

 ^vinters, if protected with a little straw or a mat. 



Sure I am that if you do not possess these, you are, 

 at least, the mistress of a plant of Sollya, and this will 

 do as well as a Billardiera for the purpose of studying 

 the characters of the Pittosporum tribe to which they 

 both belong. 



Sollya /ie^ert)j9^^//« (Plate XXVIII. 1.) is a little ever- 

 green climbing plant, with light-green, alternate, oval, 

 shining leaves, most of which have an even edge, but 

 a few are, now and then, serrated ; there are no stipules, 

 and the leaves have a slight odour of turpentine when 

 rubbed. The flowers grow in small nodding cymes or 

 clusters, are bell-shaped, and of a beautiful bright blue, 

 not unlike that of our own wild blue-hells (Hyacinthus 

 non scriptus). The flower-stalks are slender, and 

 have each a lijiy awl-shaped bract at the base. The 



