202 THE LORANTHACEAE OF AUSTRALIA, ii., 



As far back as 1841 M.H.' (J.C.) Bidwill (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., viii., 1842, 

 438) draws attention to a plant of Nuytsia which flowered every year in the 

 Government Botanic Gardens, Sydney, and at the same time pointed out that 

 the seeds germinated with 3 awl-shaped cotyledons. The same plant was also 

 referred to by Allan Cunningham {op. cit., 439) as being "on the verge of a 

 splendid flowering. It was brought from Western Australia by Baxter." Mr. 

 J. H. Maiden informed me that he remembered the plant. It died in 1883. 



Twenty years later the following reference to this plant appeared (N.S.W. 

 Hort. Mag., iv., 1867, 23) : "We believe it is somewhat over twenty years since 

 the plant was first introduced to the colony, and various attempts have been 

 made to propagate it, but without success; so that should the plant cease to 

 exist, it will be a hopeless case to replace it." There is also a litho sketch by 

 R. D. Fitzgerald. 



Although the foliaceous floral bracts enclose 3 flowers, I liave not seen them 

 enclosing more than one ripe fruit. As the central flower appears to develop 

 first, it is probably the fruit bearer, and the lateral ones are perhaps sterile. 

 Whether this is so, I am not prepared to say without further field observations, 

 or a supply of fruit in various stages of development. It is a matter which 

 local botanists could look into with interest. 



Mr. W. V. Fitzgerald (Mueller's Botanical Society, I.e.) supplies the fol- 

 lowing notes on its habit and reproduction: "Wood pale coloured, very soft and 

 spongy, and of no commercial value. It exudes a white or pale-coloured gum, 

 which in the fresh state is very adhesive. This remarkable and highly ornamental 

 plant does not seem partial to any particular kind of soil, nor does it extend 

 inland far distant from the coast. The flowers are produced during December, 

 attaining their greatest perfection about the end of that month, hence the origin 

 of the vernacular name of "Christmas Tree." 



"According to Dr. P'reiss, who collected specimens near Perth in 1838, it 

 was termed by the colonists "Cabbage-tree." The radical portion of the stem 

 thickens considerably immediately below the surface of the gi-ound and often 

 throws up white scaly shoots which, gradually ascending to thej surface, develop 

 into new plants. The roots are few, very watery and spongy. The species is 

 reputed difficult of reproduction, but I have seen numerous seeds that have ger- 

 minated after they had fallen on the surface of the ground and then perished, 

 evidently from the effects of the direct rays of the sun; therefore it is apparent 

 that the reproduction of the species from properly opened seed should not be 

 attended with any great difficulty. Eeproduction by means of the stolonlike 

 shoots should be attended with reasonable success." 



According to James Britten (Jour. Bot., slvii., 1909, p. 143) Nuytsia flori- 

 bunda is fig-ured by Ferdinand Bauer in his drawings of Australian plants. Bauer 

 collaborated with Robert Brown, and it is quite feasible that Bauer's detailed 

 drawing of Nuytsia influenced Brown in segregating Nuytsia from Loranthus. 



The anatomy of Nuytsia, also of Loranthus and Viscum, is dealt with by 

 Solereder ("Systematic Anatomy of Dicotyledons," ii., 726-30, also Addenda, p. 

 1046). He also refers in his bibliography to Van Tieghem's contribution on the 

 same subject (Bull. Soc. bot. de France, 1873, pp. 317-28). 



0. H. Sargent (Annals Botany, xxxii., 1918, 216) contributes an interesting 

 note on the fertilization of Nuytsia, and is inclined strongly to the opinion that 

 birds are the "official" pollinators. 



Range. — The Nuytsia appears to be eonflned to a limited coastal area in 

 Western Australia. It extends from Bow River in the south, to the Murehison 



