204 THE LORANTHACEAE OF AUSTRALIA, ii., 



deep furrows of the seed. Terrestrial shrubs with opposite, lanceolate leaves, 

 and axillary racemes of creamy white iiowers. 



Like Nuyts-ia, this genus is represented in Australia by one species only, but 

 there are six representatives in Colombia and Chili, which, however, belong to a 

 different section, Eugaiadendron Engler, distinguished from the Australian sec- 

 tion, Atkinsonia, by the ternate disposition of the inflorescence. 



Sect. Atkinsonia (F. v. M.) Engl. 



Flowers in simple racemes of 3-8 flowers. 



Gaiadendron ligustrina (A. Cunn.) Engler. (Plate xsviii.). 



Engler, I.e. ; Q. Don, I.e. ; Lindl., Swan Eiver App., Bot. Mag., 1839, p. xxxix. 

 (as Nuytsia ligustrina A. Cunn.); Veg. King., 1847, p. 791; Muell., Fragm., 

 ii., 1860-61, 130 (as N. ligustrina) ; Fragm., v., 1865-66, 34 (as Atkinsonia 

 ligustrina); Benth., B. Fl., iii., 1866, 388; Mart., Tl. Braz., 1868, p. 21; Etting., 

 Uber die Blatts. der Lor., Taf. xii., fig. 6-8 (Nuytsia sp.) ; Hook. Icon. PL, 13, 

 1880-82, fig. 1319 (as Loranthus Atkinsonae) ; Benth. and Hook., Gen. PI., iii., 

 1880, 212; Moore and Betche, Handb. Fl. N.S.W., 1883, 228. 



Terrestrial bushy shrubs, quite glabrous, 2 to 6 feet higli, usually found in 

 barren or rocky situations. Branches angular and somewhat striate, or the 

 older ones echinate with the remains of the petioles. Leaves opposite (not alter- 

 nate as stated by Bentham), narrow to broad lanceolate, or oblong lanceolate, 

 scai'cely acute, paler underneath, the margins recurved, midrib prominent, nar- 

 rowed into a short petiole, 2-5 cm. long. Racemes axillary; the rhachis angular, 

 3-8 flowered, 1 to 2^ cm. long, shorter than the leaves, with three minute per- 

 sistent acute stipules at the base. Flowers glabrous, single, opposite, on short 

 thick pedicels, 3 mm. long. Bracts 3, deeurrent on the pedicels and rhachis, un- 

 eqiial, the central one usually longer and broader than the lateral ones, oc- 

 casionally all equal in leng-th, narrow-linear or linear-lanceolate, 2-3 mm. long, 

 enlarging under the fruit. Buds clavate, 5-8 mm. long. Calyx cylindric, 3 mm. 

 long, the broad limb conspicuous, minutely irregularly denticulate. Petals 6 to 

 8, usually six, free, narrow-linear, acute, 6 mm. long. Filaments attached to the 

 lower half of the petals, and about the same length as the anthers, usually with 

 a small gland on the bent upper portion. Anthers versatile, lanceolate, 2.5 to 3 

 mm. long, and about 1 mm. broad. Style terete, considerably shorter than the 

 petals, or well enclosed in the centre of the flower; stigma somewhat compressed. 

 Fruit a hard drupe, ovoid to oblong, changing from scarlet to dark purple or 

 nearly black when ripe, crowned with the persistent calyx limt, 10 to 13 mm. 

 long, 8 mm. in diameter; epicarp very thin, coated with a thin layer of viscin; 

 endospei-m albuminous, deeply furrowed nearly to the centre into 7 or 8 divisions. 

 Embryo oblique, suspended by a capillary suspensor, 1 mm. long, the suspensor 

 slightly longer; embryonic cotyledons two, acute, unequal. 



Synonym s. — Nuytsia ligustrina A. Cunn., Loranthus epigaeus F. v. M. 

 (Coll.), Loranthus Atkinsonae Benth. and Hook., Atkinsonia ligustrina (F. v. M.) 

 Benth. 



Remarks. — The seeds of Loranthus Exocarpi Behr., show affinity to the 

 fruits of Gaiadendron ligustrina in the somewhat deeply furrowed endosperm. 



The leaves figured by Ettingshausen (Uber die Blatts. der Lor., I.e.) under 

 Nuytsia sp. are without doubt Gaiadendron ligustrina. 



