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XXII. INDIVIDUAL SPECIES OF CALLITRIS 



1. Callitris robusta, 



R.Br., Herb., Mirb., in Mem. Mus , Par. xili, 74. 



(Syn. : — C. Preissii, Miq. in PL Preiss., i, 643; C. S^nssii, Preiss's herbarium; 



Frenela robusta, A. Cunn.) 



Habitat. 

 Western Australia ; Rottnest Island (A. Cunningham), Bald Island (Oldfield), 

 and the mainland. 



I. HISTORICAL. 



The original specimens of Allan Cunningham in the British Museum were 

 collected at Rottnest Island, Western Australia. It also occurs in the mainland, for 

 the specimens sent to us by Dr. Morrison are identical with those of Cunningham. 

 It very probably does not extend to the Eastern half of the continent, as the 

 species in South Australia usually referred to C. robusta, R.Br., is distinct from it. 



Bentham, in the " Flora Australiensis," Vol. VI, p. 237, gives no less than 

 eleven synonyms in connection with F. robusta, but after an examination of the 

 original specimens in the principal herbaria of Europe and Australia, and in the 

 light of the evidence — (i) our own field knowledge of these Pines, and (2) of their 

 morphological, histological, and chemical characters — there remained no alternative 

 but to restore at least four of these to specific rank. 



Robert Brown, in addition to having Allan Cunningham's specimens and 

 MS. notes upon which to work when describing his species, was most probably 

 acquainted with the trees in nature, and when we were investigating the genus 

 it appeared to us unusual that so great a botanist should give such names as C. 

 robusta, C. glaiica, C. verrucosa, C. tuberculata, and C. propinqua to one and the 

 same tree. 



Had Bentham seen the living trees he would probably have separated the 

 species just as Brown had done. 



The name of robusta was probably bestowed in reference to a bush character 

 of the tree, but the fruits are the largest of the genus, so that it would be equally 

 applicable in describing them ; these latter are so distinct from C. glauca and 

 the other species enumerated above, that in our opinion, they justify Brown's 

 classification. 



Vide remarks under " Chemistry of the Leaf Oil." 



