XVI. — On the Genus EremojMla, hy Ferdinand Muelleii, 

 M.D. Ph.D., Government Botanist of Victoria, and 

 Director of the Botanic Gardens of Melbourne, Member of 

 the Imperial Chart. Leop. Academy, Sfc. 8fc. 



A TRAVELLER in the extensive desert-tracts of Australia is 

 often well rewarded for his toils and privations by the enjoy- 

 ment which the sight of the varied works of the Creator 

 must ever cause to contemplative minds ; more especially 

 when it is observed that, with the increase of the country's 

 barrenness, variety and beauty in the vegetation increase in 

 proportion. 



Prominent amongst the attractive plants to be met with 

 in the solitudes of the interior are those of the Myoporinous 

 order, and amongst these again are the genera Stenochilus, 

 JEremophila and Fholidia, comprising forms exquisitely orna- 

 mental. 



Having enjoyed many opportunities of scrutinizing a con- 

 siderable number of the species which constitute the above 

 genera, I have become convinced that the limits within 

 which the latter are narrowed are extremely uncertain^ 

 and that it would be preferable to unite the whole network 

 of species into a single and seemingly very natural genus. 



This, my opinion, formed many years ago, has received 

 additional strength from the recent discovery of sev&'al 

 interesting species of these genera ; and I believe, that if the 

 great author oitheFrodromus Flora JVova Ilollandia had been 

 enabled to observe even those plants which were considered 

 by him as typical of the above genera in full development 

 of flowers, no lines of demarcation or different ones would 

 have been drawn between them. 



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