369 



to definitely decide if the New South Wales plants are iden- 

 tical with those from Tasmania. Bentham also quotes Wim- 

 mera, Victoria, as a locality for this species, which he says 

 "has much shorter stamens," but as I have not seen the 

 Victorian specimens I cannot say if they belong to M . pustu- 

 lata, Hook, f., or the next species (M. halmaturorum). In 

 M . pustulata the young branchlets are pubescent and the leaves 

 alternate, while in 31. halmaturorum the branchlets are 

 glabrous and the leaves opposite. 



Melaleuca halmaturorum, F. v. M., et Miq., in Ned. 



Kruidk. Arch., iv., 122 (1856). The following is a copy of 

 the original description : — 



"Melaleuca- halmaturorum, Ferd. Mull., MSS. Foliis 

 oppositis densis hinc nunc subquaternis patule erectis sub- 

 imbricatis linearibus antice planis, acutis vel obtusiusculis, non 

 mucronatis, H-2 lin. longis, \-\ latis enerviis, glaucis, glabris, 

 petiolis adpressis, bracteis spicarum ovatis acutiusculis tubum 

 calycis aequantibus ; capsulis calycis tubo ovoideo-truncato 

 connatis trilocularibus. 



"Ad flumen Three - Wells River insulae Halmaturorum 

 (H. Heuzenroeder). In vere. 



'Habitus 31. curvifoliae, differt foliorum situ, usque 

 obtusiusculis, nigro-punctatis, glabritie fere perfecta, fructi- 

 bus apice minus contractis companulato - hemisphaericis, 

 floribusque plerumque magis dissitis solitariis vel spicam 

 paucifloram ramo altius insertam constituentibus. 



"Var. /3 enervis (M. enervis, F. Mull., Herb.), foliis 

 saepe impunctatis, floribus in capitulum collectis. In Nova 

 Holl. australi passim. Boston-point, arbuscula (F. Muller). 



"Var. y tuberculifera (M. tuberculifera, F. Mull., 

 Herb.), foliis ramorum majoribus fere semipollicaribus, | lin. 

 latis, acutiusculis vel obtusis. In Nova Holl. australi ad 

 Gmina-bay Holdfast-bay raro (F. Mull.)." 



It will be seen from Mueller's description that he had 

 three forms or varities under review, viz., M. halmaturorum, 

 from Three Wells River, on Kangaroo Island; var. enervis, 

 from Boston Point, near Port Lincoln; and var. tuberculifera, 

 from "Grmina" Bay and Holdfast Bay. Through the kindness 

 of Professor Ewart I have examined specimens of the original 

 plant, which are labelled as follows: — "M. halmaturorum, 

 F. v. M. Ex insula. Halmaturorum ad fl., 3 wells-river. H. 

 Heuzenroeder, November, 1849." 



[I would suggest that the "Gmina Bay" mentioned above 

 is a misprint for "Guichen Bay." The plant in question 

 grows at Robe, and Mueller collected in this district during 



