206 THE LOEANTHACEAE OF AUSTRALIA, ii., 



Young plants in the seedling stag-e with the endosperm attached to them 

 were also found to be entirely dependent upon their own roots, which consisted 

 of a deep radicle, and very fine lateral rootlets. Root hairs were abundant on 

 the small roots. A' three- or four-year-old plant was also carefully investigated 

 and gave the same result. 



The large roots, which vary from J to 1 inch in thickness, are markedly 

 soft and pliable and grow to a length of 3-6 feet. When cut, the sap turns 

 blue-black in colour; the cortex is also very thick for the size of the root. The 

 young roots are yellowish but with age they change to a brownish pink. 



There is a general belief that the plant is stoloniferous. Those investigated 

 by me showed no sign of stolons, for they were inclined to penetrate deeply 

 into the soil. On the other hand, the plant vegetates freely from the crown and 

 also from the main stem three or four inches under the ground, which very largely 

 accounts for its shrubby habit. When burnt over by bush fires it sends up a 

 new crop of shoots from the old stem, similar to the Weratah, but on a much 

 smaller scale. 



The plant should be easily propagated from seed and also from cuttings. 



I. 2b. LORANTHOIDEAE-LORANTHEAE-LORANTHINAE. 



Engler in Engl, et Prantl, Pflanzenfam., Naehtr., iii., 1897. 125 and 127. 



Calyeulus developed, though very small. Petals free or united. Ovary 1- 

 celled. Endosperm smooth or imperfectly canaliculate. Viscin copious. Anthers 

 adnate or versatile. 

 (A). Filaments subterete, attenuated, subulate and often geniculate. Anthers 



versatile. .. ., 3. Phrygilanthus 



(B). Filaments compressed, uniform, usually passing imperceptibly into the 

 adnate anthers 4. Loranthus. 



Eiehler (Martius, Flora Braziliensis, v., 2, 1868, p. 45-48) was the first to 

 separate the versatile section of our Loranthaceae from the genus Loranthus and 

 establish the genus Phrygilcmthue, in which he included P. celastroides , P. Bidr- 

 willii and P. myrtifolia, all of which were placed under Loranthus by Bentham 

 and others. Subsequently, Bentham and Hooker (Genera Plantarum, iii., 211) 

 recognised Phrygilainthus as a sub-genus of Loranthus, and furnished a brief 

 description accordingly. 



The National Herbarium, Sydney, is indebted to Mr. James R. Weir, Forest 

 Pathologist-in-Charge, Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington, for the description of the genus Phrygilamthus, which is now pro- 

 duced, as not readily available. 



P H E y G I L A N T 11 u s Eichler. 



PI. Brazil., v., 2, 1868, 24. — §§ Loranthi OscUlantherae Tetramerae 

 et Taguanae DC, Prodr., iv., 307, 315. — Teisterix ex parte et Struthamthi 

 species, Mai't., Flora, 4, 1830, 104, 108. — Gaiadendron, Notanthera et ex aliis 

 generibus species, Don, Gen. Syst., iii., 128, 431, etc. — Loranthi §§ 6. et 4 (ex 

 parte), Oliv., Journ. Linn. Soc. London, vii., 98. — Loranthi specc. Auctt., Epicoila 

 Raf ., Sylva. Tellur., 1838, 126 ; Taguaria, Raf ., ibid., 125.— Loranthus, Benth. and 

 Hook, f.. Gen. PL, iii., 212; Engl, and Prantl, iii., i., 178, and Naehtr., 133. 



Flores hermaphroditi, solemniter 6- (3-|-3-) meri, rarius 5-v. 4-nunc 7-8- 

 meri. Calyx urceolatus v. marginiformis, integer v. dentatus. Petala libera, in 

 eorollam regularem conspirantia, alternatim apice latiora et obtusiora, angiistiora 



