;lg2 THE TASMA.NIAN FLORA. 



6-lobed. Ovary inferior. Fruit a nut or nuts buried at the base, in a cup 

 formed of the combined bracts, or completely enclosed. 



A large and important order of trees, confined to the Northern Hemisphere, 

 except a few species of Faffus. 



' FAGUS. 



Staminate spikes small, globular, and pendulous, rarely reduced to a single 

 flower, each flower developed within a bract bearing a 4 or 6-lobed tubular 

 perianth and 8-16 stamens with long filaments. Pistillate flowers few, 2-4, in a 

 nearly sessile spike, surrounded by numerous bracts. Ovary 3-celled, with 2 

 ovules in each. Nuts 2-4, angled, enclosed in a hard prickly involucre that opens 

 in 4 valves. 



A small genus, that occurs in temperate regions of both Hemispheres. 



Leaves deeply sulcate on the surf ace .. . ... ... 1. F. gunnii. 



Leaves flat ... ... ... ... ... . ■ ■ 2. F. cunninghami. 



1. F. euNNii, Sook. A spreading, wiry, much-branched shrub, 5 or 6 feet 

 high, the branchlets somewhat tangled. Leaves alternate, shortly stalked, very 

 broadly ovate and obtuse to nearly orbicular, thick, deeply sulcate on the surface, 

 the midrib and veins bearing strigose hairs, mostly about ^ inch long, falling in 

 winter. Staminate flowers solitary, but clustered at. the ends of the brancjies, 

 about 2 lines long. Stamens 6-8. Fruiting involucre covered with membranous 

 free tips of the bracts, solitary in the upper axils, about 3 lines long. Nuts 3, 

 the outer two .3-winged, the central one flat. 



On mountain- summits towards the west, Mount La Perouse, Mount Field, 

 Cradle Mountain, Fl. Dee. 



2. F. cuNNraoHAMl, Hook. An erect much-branched tree, often exceeding 100 

 feet, but at high altitudes flowering while still shrubby. Leaves alternate, 

 shortly stalked, broadly ovate to cordate, thick, flat, coarsely obtusely toothed, 

 mostly 5-| inch long. Staminate flowers solitary, shortly stalked, axillary. 

 Stamens 8. Pistillate flowers 3, in a sessile involucre of combined bracts in the 

 upper axils. Fruiting involucre rough, with the linear, free tips of the bracts, 

 about 3 lines long. Nuts 3, the outer two 3-angled, the central one flat. 



Very common ; also in Victoria. Fl. Dec. 



Okdee liXXlU.—SANTALACE^. 



Perianth with a tubular short base that is more or less combined with the 

 ovary, and 3-5 short spreading lobes. Stamens as many as and opposite the 

 lobes. Ovary from nearly free to almost entirely combined with the perianth- 

 tube, 1-celled, with 2-5 ovules, only one of which attains maturity. Stigma 

 sessile or borne on a short style, capitate. Fruit with a dry or succulent 

 pericarp. 



The order has a most extensive distribution, but is principally temperate. 



Leaves linear, about 1 inch long... ... ... ... 1. Thesiuw; 



Leaves minute scales, or none. 



Ovary inferior. Fruit-stalk thin ... ... ... 2. Leptomeria. 



Ovary superior. 'Fruit-stalk thick, fleshy ... ... 3. Exocarpus. 



1. THESIUM. 



Perianth-tube combined with ovary at the base, free above. Ovary inferior. 

 Fruit dry, crowned by the dried perianth. 



The genus is widely dispersed in both Hemispheres, but only one species occurs 

 in Australian distribution. 



