CXI. 
EMBOTHRIUM SPECIOSUM. 
Shewy Embothrium. 
ORDO NATURALIS. 
Protex. Juss. Gen. p. 78. 
Sect, 11, Pericarpium post dehiscentiam persistens, 1-2-loculare, 2-20-spermum. 
Petala 4, varie coherentia suturd inferiore a pistillo premente magis fiss4, decidua. Nectarium ba- 
sin pistilli semicingens. Pericarpium stipitatum, folliculare, 1-loculare, lignosam. Stylus apice 
clavatus, Stigma laterale. Semina numerosa , ala terminata. Caulis in multis crassus. Folia ed 
E. foliorum satis plus minus obovato-cuneatis, se oe Np glaucis : spicd late pyramidali, 
bracteis coloratis involucrata: petalis dorso coherent 
E. speciosissimum, Smith Nov. Holl. 1. p. 19. t. 7. pulchra, sed parum fidelis. 
Sponte nascentem juxta Port Jackson, legit D. Burron. 
Floret Octobri, ayed nos Maio. 
The genus Embothrium was established by Forster from two shrubs of Terra del Fuego, and 
New Caledonia. Our magnificent plant, called by the natives in New South Wales, W. serve teh; 
may perhaps be a congener of the first, but certainly not of the latter, which differs exceedingly in 
habit, and has a broad peltated stigma, like that of E. Silaifolium: the two-seeded species confounded 
with the above by Dr. J. E. Smitrn, are already separated by Mr. Brown, and named Grevillea. 
It is now flowering for the first time in Europe, at Springwell, the villa of E. J. A. Wooproxp, 
Esq. but neither in his, nor in the ire wild specimens before me, have I been able to find a flower 
with all the petals distinct, as Dr. J. E, Smiru de n fetied * them : what he likewise calls 
** the back of the flower” is really the front, the style being arched towards the centre of the spike, 
not its circumference. 
An evergreen Shrub 8 or 10 feet high. Stem about 2 inches in diameter near the bottom, with a 
rough brown bark, generally simple till it flowers : ches few, issuing immediately under the 
spike, long, erect : green and smooth while young with a slight dew. Leaves alternate, pretty close 
to each other, from 7 to 10 inches long, spreading: Petiole 9 thickened at the base, somewhat 
convex on the upper as well as under surface : Lamina varyi m 1 to 3 inches in breadth, so as 
o be more or less obovate-wedge-shaped, when narrowest cpatulate, from above the middle deeply 
and sapped toothed, ending in a tooth but obiuse and sometimes bitten off, dark green and 
smooth on its upper surface, glaucous with a slight dew while young underneath ; Nerves many 
and srr hard and tough. Flowers erect, without smell. Spike terminal, so close as to 
form a broad pyramid, Peduncle from 2 to 2} inches long, gradually attenuated, entirely covered 
with bractes and flowers. Bractes about 10 under the spike, crimson with the top and margins of the 
outer surface tawny, from 3 to 2 inches long, reclinate, lanceolate, very entire, obtuse, towards the 
top of the inner surface slightly” bearded with rusty pubescence: one under eac pair of flowers, 
crimson, the lower ones an inch and a half long, mae shorter till only a broad rudiment 
mains, in other respects similar to the others; deciduous; besides these some smaller gemmac 
scales at the very bottom of the peduncle fall off very early. Pedicels crimson, from 6 to 11 lines 
long, recurved-spreading, as the fruit swells bowed quite down, cylindrical an smooth. Petals 
crimson, about an inch long, cohering nearly to the top except the outer suture which is soon di- 
vided to the base by the style pressing against it, somewhat ventricose above the midddle, then con- 
tracted into an arched neck; at the top ovate-wedge-sha é, very entire, obtuse, the 2 lower ones 
rather smaller ; externally smooth, internally finely papulose, deciduous without ~~ into se- 
parate parts. Filaments _ tawny, about $d of a line long, en wedge-shaped, flat, smooth. 
