300 THE FLORA OF THE NOKTHEEN TERRITORY. 



It is more fully described by Smith (Trans. Linn. See, iii., p. 275 (1797) as 

 follows : — 



" Foliis alternis elliptico-lanceolatis, coriaceis, quinquenervia, rainulis 

 petiolisque pubescentibus . Unquestionably a very distinct species from the 

 preceding {M. Leucadendron) with which the younger Linnseus confounded it, 

 the leaves are much more thick and rigid, straight, not falcated, nor so much 

 pointed, of a Ught colour, with generally five, but sometimes 7 nerves. The 

 foot-stalks and younger branches are downy, which is not the case in M. 

 Leucadendron. 



This grows in New South Wales. The flowers are pale yellowish-green." 



It is also described by R. Brown in .his Mss. as will be seen by the following 

 in Alton's Hortus Kewensis, Vol. iv., p. 410, 1812 : — 



" Melaleuca viridiflora. — Foliis elliptico-lanceolatis sequilateris 5-nervibus, 

 ramulis, et rachi spicse calycisque tubopubescentibus, phalangium unguibus 

 calyeis laciniis brevioribus obsoletisve. Brown Mss. 



Melaleuca viridiflora, WiUd., sp. pi. 3, p. 1429. Metrosideros quinquenervia 

 Cavanill, ic. 4, p. 19, t. 333. Green- flowered Melaleuca, Nat. of New South 

 Wales. John White, M.D., Introd. about 1798." 



The above description and synonyms quoted are repeated in Miscell. 

 Bot. Works of R. Brown, in Ray. Society, Vol. ii., p. 451, 1867. Persoon 

 (Synopsis Plantarunfi, Vol. i., p. 26 (1807), also takes up the name M. viridiflora, 

 Sm., and copies Smith's descriptions, and at the same time quotes M. Leuca- 

 dendron B. angustifolia, of Linn. fil. supp. 342, and Metrosideros quinquenervia, 

 Cav., as synonyms. The habitat gives by Persoon is New Holland and New 

 Caledonia. 



Smith (in Rees CycL, No. 3, 1819) repeats his description of M. viridiflora, 

 with additional particulars as follows : — " Leaves alternate, elliptic-lanceolate, 

 straight, bluntish, coriaceous, five-ribbed. Foot-stalks and young branches 

 downy. Germen nearly smooth, native of New Caledonia and New South 

 Wales. The younger Linnseus confounded it with both the preceding (M. 

 Leucadendron and M. minor). From the first it is abundantly distinct. 



With the second it more agrees in the shape of the leaves, but differs in 

 their thick rigid texture ; and much longer more downy foot-stalks. The 

 flowers are twice as large, green, not white, with a smooth or very slightly- 

 hairy germen. The young leaves of the present species are finely downy, but 

 scarcely silky." 



De Candolle (Prod, iu., p. 212) takes up the name M. viridiflora, giving 

 Gaertner as the author, and also gives the habitat Nova-Cambria Australi 

 (New South Wales) et Nova Caledonia (New Caledonia). He also quotes the 

 following synonyms : — M. Leucadendron, var. angustifolia, Linn., f . suppL, 342 ; 

 M. angustifolia, Gaertn. ; Metrosideros quinquinervia, 'Cav., Met. coriacea, 

 Poir (non Salisb). Met. albida, Sieb., plant exs., Nov. HoU., No. 349 ?. Don. 

 (Hist, of Gard., and Bot., p. 815 (1832) ), gives practically the same particulars 

 and synonyms as those in Decandolle's Prod. • 



It seems to me that the type specimens, from which the description and 

 drawing was made by Gaertner, I.e., were collected at Bustard Bay by Banks 

 and Solander, and are figured in Britten's Illustrations of the Botany of Cook's 

 Voyage, p. 37, t. 112, under the name Melaleuca Leucadendron. Examples 

 of the specimens collected by Banks and Solander, which may be regarded as 

 ccj-types, are in the National Herbarium, Sydney, and are in fruit, the capsules 



