l68 XXV. LINEJE. [Erythroxylon. 



rarely 2 ovules in each cell. Drupe usually 1-seeded. Albumen copious, or thin, 

 or none. — Trees or shrubs. Leaves entire. Stipules united into one within the 

 the petiole, deciduous, or persistent especially on the leafless base of the young 

 shoots. Flowers small, whitish, solitary or clustered in the axil of leaves or of 

 leafless stipules. 



A large tropical genus, abundant in S. America, less so in Africa and Asia. The two Aus- 

 tralian species are perhaps endemic, but there is so much general similarity in the species of this 

 genus, and their characters so vague and variable, that it is exceedingly difficult to determine 

 their limits. — Benth. 



Leaves oblong or narrow-elliptical, lin. long or less, or the smaller ones 



cuneate-obovate, the veins few 1. E. australe. 



Leaves obovate or ovate-elliptical, li to 2Jin. long, or the smaller ones rarely 



lin., the veins numerous and finely reticulated 2. E. elUpticum. 



1. E. australe (Australian), F. v. M. in Trans. Vict. Inst. iii. 22 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 i. 284. A small tree or glabrous shrub, with slender divaricate branches. Leaves 

 elliptical-oblong, or the smaller ones cuneate or almost obovate, in some specimens 

 all under l^in* long, in more luxuriant ones about lin., the pinnate veins fewer 

 and less reticulate than in many other species. Stipules small and deciduous. 

 Pedicels solitary or rarely clustered, short or rarely attaining 3 lines, with minute 

 bracteoles at their base. Flowers very small. Calyx not 1 line long, divided to 

 below the middle, the lobes almost or quite valvate. Inner appendage of the 

 petals with 2 very short crested lobes. Styles free or shortly cohering at the base. 

 Drupe oblong, 3 to 3-J lines long, 3-eelled, but with only 1 seed. Albumen thin ; 

 radicle slender, shorter than the ovate cotyledons. 



Hab.: Brigalow scrub on the Burdekin, Suttor, and Dawson Eivers, F. v. Mueller ; Comet 

 Eiver, Leichhardt ; Eookhampton and Fitzroy Eiver, Thozet ; and many other localities in the 

 south of the colony. 



The late Mr. Staiger finds that the leaves do not contain cocaine, but they contain coea-tannic 

 acid, and also a yellow dye-stuff which may prove of value. 



Wood red in colour, close in grain, and prettily marked. — Bailey's Gat. Ql. Woods No. 37. 



2. E. ellipticum (elliptic), R. Br. Herb.; Benth. Fl. Amtr. i. 284 {in part), 

 This species forms a tree about 86ft. high, with a trunk diameter of 12 or more 

 inches. The young branches flattened. Leaves obovate or ovate-elliptical, very 

 obtuse, 1\ to 2^in. long or the smaller ones rarely only lin., on petioles of about 

 1 line, rather thin, the primary nerves not much more prominent than the 

 reticulation, with very numerous and finely reticulated veins. Stipules usually 

 about 2 lines long, and always longer than the petioles, deciduous. Flowers in 

 axillary clusters of 3 to 6, the pedicels 2 to 4 lines long, with minute bracts at 

 their base. Calyx about 1 line long, divided nearly to the base into lanceolate 

 acute lobes, very slightly imbricate or almost valvate. Petals more than twice 

 the length of the calyx, boat-shaped, very deciduous, the 2-lobed inner appendages 

 very prominent and crumpled. Styles quite free, recurved. Drupe oblong, with 

 a reddish, sweet pericarp, 3 to 4 lines long, 3-celled, 2 outer cells empty, the centre 

 cell 1-seeded. 



Hab.: Near Telegraph Station, Walsh Eiver, T. Barclay-Millar. Previously only known from 

 Dr. Eobt. Brown's specimens gathered about 1802 on the mainland off Groote Bylandt. 



The timber is excellent, resembles tulip-wood, is close in grain, and very durable. 



Bark rough-corky, becoming hard with age. 



Wood of a dark-brown colour, with light stripes, nicely marked, close-grained and firm ; easily 

 worked, and should be valuable for cabinet work. — Bailey's Cat. Ql. Woods No. 38. 



Oedee XXVI. MALPIGHlACEiE. 



Flowers usually hermaphrodite. Calyx 5-cleft, the segments imbricate or rarely 

 valvate, all, or more frequently 4 only (or rarely 3 or none of them), bearing 2 

 glands outside. Petals 5, usually equal, concave, toothed or notched, on 



