180 XXII. MALVACE^. [Rihucus. 



24. H. Sturtii (after Captain C: Sturt), Hook, in Mitch. Trap. Austi: 363 ; 

 Benth. Fl. Austr. i. 216. A rather rigid, simple or branched undershrub, rarely 

 exceeding 1ft., clothed with a whitish tomentum, either short and rather close, 

 or dense and velvety or sometimes almost fioceose. Leaves broadly cordate or 

 ovate, rarely ovate-lanceolate, mostly 1 to l^in. long, obtuse, irregularly crenate- 

 toothed, usually rather thick and soft. Flowers few in the upper axils, rather 

 small, white, pink, or yellow (at Rockhampton, F. c. M.) Involucre obconical or 

 campanulate, with 7 or 8 teeth or short lobes, very variable in shape, but usually 

 nearly as long as the calyx. Calyx very tomentose, the lobes shorter or rarely 

 longer than the cup, thick and soft, obscurely 8-nerved. Petals varying from | 

 to fully l^in. long. Staminal column slender, with scattered filaments as in most 

 species, but the filaments not so numerous and longer than usual, showing an 

 approach to those of H. biachy>iipho7iim. Capsule globular, silky. Seeds 

 glabrous or rarely woolly. — F. v. M. Fragm. ii. 18. 



Hab.: Mackenzie, Burdekin, Suitor, and Dawson Rivers, Peak Downs, Fitzroy Island, Maranoa 

 and Belyando Eivers. 



This very variable species, remarkable for its cup-shaped short-lobed involucre, presents in our 

 specimens the following principal forms : — 



a. grandiflora. Involucre shorter than the calyx, with triangular or lanceolate, somewhat 

 acute, erect teeth. Petals above lin., and often IJin. long. — Mount Goningbear, in N. S. Wales. 



b. Muelleri. Involucre of the preceding variety with the small flowers of the following one. ' 

 — Gathered by most ooUeotors, as well as the following variety. 



c. Sturtii. Involucre as long as the calyx, dilated, and spreading at the top, with short broad 

 rounded lobes. Calyx 3 to 4 lines long, with rather short lobes. Petals rarely exceeding lin., 

 and often much smaller. — The most common N. S. Wales form. 



d. campylochlamys, F. v. M. Both involucre and calyx more or less deeply divided into 

 lanceolate acuminate lobes. Calyx otherwise rather longer than in the preceding varieties. — 

 Victoria Eiver and Sturt's Creek, F. v. Mueller ; Dampier's Archipelago, A. Cunningham. In the 

 latter specimens the seeds are woolly, but in the Victoria Eiver plant they appear to be glabrous, 

 as in the other varieties. 



c. platychlamys. Very densely clothed with a somewhat rigid, velvety tomentum. Involucre 

 v6ry spreading, often above lin. diameter, with broad lobes. Calyx exceeding Jin., with large 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate lobes. — Victoria Eiver, F. v. Mueller. 



25. H. phyllochlsenus (referring to the leafy involucre), F. i . M. Fragm. 

 ix. 128. Plant covered with a rusty or brown stellate tomentum. Leaves li 

 to 2in. long, lanceolate- oblong, crispate rugose, crenate-serrate, on petioles of 

 from 2 to 6 lines, base obtuse, apex somewhat acute. Peduncles solitary, 

 1-flowered, 1 to l-|-in. long. Bracteoles 5, herbaceous, glabrescent, ovate-lanceolate. 

 Calyx nearly lin. long. Corolla l^in., slightly ciliate, two-coloured — purple and 

 yellow. Staminal column short, glabrous. Style-branches villous. Capsule 

 silky-hispid. Seeds glabrous. 



Hab.: Expedition Eange. 



26. H. tiliaceus (leaves Tilia-like), Linn.; DC. Prod. i. 454; Benth. Fl. 

 Austr. i. 218. " Talwalpin," Moreton Bay, Watkins. A small tree. Leaves on 

 long petioles, orbicular-cordate, shortly acuminate, entire or crenulate, white or 

 hoary underneath with a close short tomentum, nearly glabrous above, 8 to 5in. 

 diameter. Stipules large, broadly oblong, very deciduous. Flowers large, yellow 

 with a dark crimson centre, on short peduncles in the upper axils or at the ends , 

 of the branches. Involucre campanulate, divided to about the middle into 10 to 

 12 lobes, about half the length of the calyx. Calyx nearly lin. long, with 

 lanceolate 1 -nerved lobes. Petals 2 to Sin. long, slightly tomentose outside. 

 Capsule nearly lin. diameter, the valves bearing the dissepiments in their centre, 

 and their thin margins turned inwards so as to make the capsule appear 10-celled. 

 — Parititim tiliaeeum, St. Hil. Fl. Bras. Mer. i. 256 ; Wight, Ic. PI. t. 7. 



Hab.: Islands of the Bay of Carpentaria, Eockhampton, Brisbane River. 

 A common seacoast tree in most tropical countries, particularly abundant in the islands of th? 

 Pacific. — Benth. i 



