

PLATE DClll. 



C0MMERS0N1A DASYPHYLLA. 



Hairy-leaved Commersonia. 



CLASS V. ORDER V. 



PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. Five Chives. Five Pointals. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Calyx monophyllus 5-partitus. Petala 5 line- 

 aria basi sublobata, apice inflexa. Necta- 

 rium 5-partitum. Filamenta ad basin peta- 

 lorum, brevissima. Germen subglobosum. 

 Styli erecti. Stigmata capitata. Capsula 

 dura, setosa, 5-locularis, 5-valvis, loculis 

 2~4-sperniis, 



Empalement of one leaf 5-parted. Petals 5, 

 linear, commonly lobed at the base, turned 

 in at the point. Nectary 5-parted. Threads 

 at the base of the petals, very short. Seed- 



bud nearly round, 

 summits headed. 



Styles erect with their 

 Capsule hard, bristly, 



with 5 cells and 5 valves, the cells from 2- 

 to 4-seeded. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER 



Commfrsonia foliis eloogato-cordatis inaequa- 

 liter serratis supra subtusque iiirsutis. 



Commersonia with long heart-shaped unequally- 

 toothed leaves hairy on both sides. 



REFERENCE TO THE PLATE. 



1. Empalement, chives and pointals, magnified 



Commersonia dasyphylla is a low branching shrub, a native of New Holland or Van Diemen's Land,, 

 and is remarkable for a powerful odour of cucumbers which it emits when in blossom, and even retains 

 for some time after it is dried. Being a plant which blossoms freely in early spring, and of very 

 easy culture, it well deserves a place in the green-house or conservatory, Only one species of Com- 

 mersonia has before flowered in England, the C. echinata of our last volume (Plate 519), but which 

 has since been discovered to be a different species from the original C. echinata of Forster; which error 

 we take the present opportunity of correcting, and beg of our readers to erase the name echinata in our 

 5igth plate and description, and substitute platyphylla, with the following specific description : 



Broad-leaved Commersonia with toothed leaves 

 of a long heart-shape, a little rough with 

 star-like bristles on the upper side; hairy 

 and soft below. 



Commersonia platyphylla, foliis elongato-cor- 

 datis dentatis, supra stellato-hispidulis, sub- 

 tus hirsutis, mollibus. 



Another nondescript Commersonia from Van Diemen's Land is now in our gardens, but has not yet 



the late 



blossomed ; and we have seen dried specimens of a fifth species brought from New Holland by 

 Governor King, in the collection of A. B. Lambert, esq. 



We were favoured with the specimen of C. dasyphylla by Mr. Milne, from Fonthill, last April. 

 The plant is at present in very few collections, and has not, we believe, yet blossomed any where else 

 ia Engla * 





