276 XXXVIII. EHAMNEiE. [Cri/ptandi-a. 



3. C amara (bitter), Sm. in Trans. Linn. Soc. x. 295, t. 18, /. 2 ; Benth. Fl. 

 Anstr. i. 440. A rigid, wiry, decumbent or subereet, much-branched shrub, the 

 young branches minutely hoary with a close stellate down, the smaller ones often 

 ending in a fine thorn. Leaves solitary or clustered, linear or linear-oblong, 

 usually 1 to 2 and rarely 3 lines long, obtuse or acute, rigid, glabrous or nearly 

 so, the margins usually recurved. Flowers almost sessile, solitary within the 

 bracts, but usually several together, forming short leafy spikes or racemes on 

 the smaller branches. Calyx at the time of flowering 1 to If line long, cam- 

 panulate, white outside with a close minute down, very shortly adnate by its 

 obtuse base, the lobes usually shorter than the tube, the brown imbricate bracts 

 not exceeding the adnate base and very obtuse. Ovary densely pubescent, 

 included in the tube, but adnate only below the middle, the disk not distinct. 

 Fruiting calyx often 8 lines long, enclosing the capsule, which remains adherent 

 at the base only or below the middle. Cocci crustaceous. — DC. Prod. ii. 88 ; 

 F. V. M. Fragm. iii. 66 ; C. Sieberi, Fenzl, in Hueg. Enum. 23 ; Hook. f. Fl. 

 Tasm. i. 74 ; C. campanulata, Sohlecht. Linnsea, xx. 689 ; F. v. M. Fragm. iii. 

 67, partly ; C. nervata, Eeissek, in Linnsea, xxix. 291 ; C. largiflora, F. v. M., 

 Reissek, in Linnsea, xxix. 292. 



Hab.: Kent's hsigoons, Leichha/rdt ; Mount Mitchell, BecKler ; Cunningham's Gap, and other 

 southern localities. 



Independently of the diversity in the size of the flowers resulting from age, there cppear to 

 be two distinct varieties with large and small flowers, the calyx in the latter usually broader and 

 more deeply lobed, both of them included among Sieber's specimens ; the southern ones belong 

 chiefly to small-flowered varieties. These have usually the free part of the ovary less prominent, 

 but in Cunningham and Eraser's specimens from the interior the ovary and capsule are very 

 prominent, whilst the calyx is small and much more loosely pubescent than usual. Some 

 specimens are remarkable for their short, almost ovate leaves. — Benth. 



4. C. longistaminea (long stamens), F. v. M. Fragm. iii. 64 ; Benth. Fl. 

 Awstr. i. 440. A much-branched unarmed shrub of 2 or 8ft., the smaller branches 

 minutely hoary-tomentose. Leaves ovate or oblong, obtuse, 1 to 2 lines long, 

 the margins recurved or revolutb, glabrous above, minutely silky-tomentose under- 

 neath or almost glabrous. Flowers numerous, crowded on the smaller branches, 

 but not quite sessile. Brown bracts imbricate round the base of the calyx-tube. 

 Calyx about 2 lines long, minutely silky outside, divided below the middle into 

 spreading lobes. Petals on slender claws, at first enclosing the stamens, but 

 reflexed after the calyx opens, leaving the stamens erect and apparently exserted. 

 Disk annular, glabrous or very minutely tomentose, quite distinct from the ovary. 

 Ovary sessile or slightly immersed in the disk. Style very shortly 8-lobed. 

 Fruit not seen. 



Hab.: Condamine Eiver, C. H. Hartmann. 



11. DISCARIA, Hook. 



(Broad disk.) 



(Tetrapasma, G. Don.) 



Calyx campanulate or tubular above the ovary, shortly 4 or 5-lobed. Petals 



hood- shaped, inserted with the stamens at the base of the calyx-lobes or none. 



Stamens 4 or 5, with short filaments, included in the petals when present. Disk 



annular in the base of the calyx-tube, the margin shortly free. Ovary more or 



less immersed in the disk, 3-lobed, 3-celled. Style slender, with a shortly B-lobed 



stigma. Drupe or capsule coriaceous, 8-lobed, the endocarp separating into 8 



2-valved crustaceous cocci. Seeds with a coriaceous testa; albumen fleshy; 



cotyledons orbicular.— Much-branched rigid shrubs, with opposite, often thorny 



branchlets. Leaves small, opposite, 1-nerved or penninerved. Stipules and 



bracts small. Flowers axillary. 



The genus is chiefly S. American, extratropical or alpine, with one species endemic in 

 Australia and another in New Zealand. — Benth, 



