978 LXXIX. APOOYNACE^. [Carissa. 



1. C. laxiflora (flowers loose), Benth. Fl. Austr. iv. 305. A Shrub, the 

 branches looser than in the other species, quite glabrous, our specimens without 

 spines. Leaves on very short petioles, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute, 

 smooth and shining above, with few distant arcuate primary veins, 2 to 3in. 

 long. Flowers in rather loose terminal cymes on 2 simple or 1 forked or 3-fid 

 peduncle, the pedicels 2 to 3 lines long. Calyx-segments narrow, acute, not 1 

 line long but unequal. Corolla-tube about 4 lines long, the lobes very acute, 

 nearly 2 lines long, the right-hand edge overlapping in the bud. Anthers below 

 the top of the tube, oblong, not apiculate. Ovules several in each cell of the 

 ovary. Fruit not seen. 



Hab.: Cape York, M'GilUvray. 



2. C. ovata (leaves oval), R. Br. Prod. 468 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. iv. 305. 

 " Kunkerberry," Cloncurry, Palmer; " Karey," Eockhampton, " Ulorin," Cleve- 

 land Bay, Thozet. An erect, much-branched shrub of 3 or 4ft., quite glabrous 

 or rarely the young shoots minutely pubescent, more or less armed with opposite 

 horizontally divaricate simple or rarely forked spines, which appear to be abortive 

 peduncles. ' Leaves ovate rhomboidal or almost orbicular, obtuse or shortly acute, 

 coriaceous, penniveined but the lower veins sometimes very near the base, usually 

 J to fin. long on the flowering branches, but sometimes twice that size, especially 

 on sterile branches. Flowers in small compact sessile or shortly pedunculate 

 axillary cymes. Calyx-segments lanceolate-subulate, about 1 line long or the 

 inner ones smaller. Corolla-tube nearly 4 lines long, the lobes scarcely 1^ line, 

 obliquely ovate or oblong, obtuse or scarcely acute, the right-hand edges over- 

 lapping in the bud. Anthers above the middle of the tube, minutely apiculate. 

 Fruit ovoid, usually 1-seeded, | to fin. long. — A. DC. Prod. viii. 334. 



Hab.: Thirsty Sound, R. Brown ; Brisbane EWer, Moreton Bay, A. Cunningham, F. v. Mueller, 

 and many others ; Eockhampton, Ballachy and others ; Port Nelson, A. Cunningham; Fitzroy 

 and Bowen Eivers, Bowman ; Port Denison, Fitzalan, JDallachy. 



Fruit gathered in quantities and eaten raw. Palmer. 



Wood close-grained, light-coloured. — Bailey's Cat. Ql, Woods No. 276. 



Var. stolonifera. Bail. Bot. Bull. ix. Eeferred to in Dr. Thos. L. Bancroft's paper in Proc. 

 Eoy. Soc, June, 1894. This form is of a dwarf spreading habit; the branches, bending down, 

 take root when they touch the soil, and fo»m fresh plants ; thus one plant will soon cover with 

 a low bushy growth a large space. The stems are more slender and the leaves smaller than in 

 the coastal or normal form. Another and more remarkable distinction is, that while the 

 normal form Dr. Bancroft found to contain little or no poisonous properties, the bark of this 

 inland plant he found to possess an exceedingly bitter poisonous principle. Hab.: Kear Dalby, 

 Dr. Thos. L. Bancroft. 



3. C. scabra (leaves rough), R. Br. Prod. 468 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. iv. 305. 

 A spinous shrub, with the habit of C. ovata, but the branches and young 

 leaves densely pubescent. Leaves ovate, mucronate, with revolute margins, 

 shining but very scabrous on both sides with minute tubercles the bases of the 

 old hairs, | to fin. long. Flowers in terminal or rarely axillary sessile clusters. 

 Calyx-segments more subulate and corolla rather longer than in C. ovata, but 

 otherwise the same. — A. DC. Prod. viii. 334. 



Hab.: Prince of Wales Island, R. Brown. 



4. C. lanceolata (leaves lance-shaped), R. Br. Prod. 468 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 iv. 306. An erect, divaricately-branched glabrous shrub. Leaves lanceolate 

 or elliptical, acute or rarely obtuse, narrowed into a short petiole, very obliquely 

 penniveined, from under lin. to about l^in. long. Flowers in small compact 

 sessile or very shortly pedunculate cymes, mostly terminating short leafy 



