BOTANY OF TERRA AUSTRALIS. 75 



EUDESMIA TETRAGONA. Tab. 3. 



In exposed barren places near the shores, in the neighbourhood of Lucky 

 Bay, on the south coast of New Holland in 34° S. lat. and 123° E. Ion. ; 

 gathered both in flower and fruit in January, 1802. 



DESC. Frutex 3-5 pedes altus, ramis patentibus, ramulis 4-gonis angnlis 

 marginatis. Folia opposita quandoque subopposita, petiolata, ssepius aversa, 

 lanceolata vel oblonga, coriacea compaota, integerrinia marginata glauoa resi- 

 noso-punctata, venis vix emersis anastomozanLibus, 3-4 unoias longa, 14-16 

 lineas lata. Umbella laterales paucifloree, pedunoulo pediceilisque ancipitibus. 

 Cali/x turbinatus obtuse 4-gonus cum ovario cohaerens, angulis apice produetis 

 in dentes breves subineequales, duobus oppositis paulo ina.joribus. Opercuhim 

 depresso-hemisplisericum muticum glandulosum albicans, striis quatuor cruci- 

 atis parum depressis dentibus calycis oppositis notatum, quasi e petalis quat\ior 

 conflatum, caducum. Stamina plurima ; Filamenta in phalanges quatuor petalis 

 oppositas approximata, eapillana glabra alba, interiora sensim breviora ; An- 

 therte ovato-subrolundae incumbentes ochroleucai, loculis longitudinhliter deliis- 

 centibus. Ovarium inclusum tubo adherenti calycis, 4-Iooulare : Stylus 1, cylin- 

 draceus ; Stigma obtusum. Capsula inclusa et connata tubo aucto turbiuato 

 oblongo ligneo calycis, apice 4-fariani deiiisoeus. 



Obs. There can be no doubt respecting the afBnity of 

 this genus, which belongs to Myrtacese and differs from 

 Eucalyptus solely in having a striated operculum placed 

 within a distinctly toothed calyx, and in its filaments being 

 collected into bundles. The operculum in Eudesmia, 

 from the nature of its striae and their relation to the teeth 

 of the calyx, appears to be formed of the confluent petals 

 only ; whereas, that of Eucalyptus, which is neither stria- 

 ted nor placed within a distinct calyx, is more probably 

 composed, in several cases at least, of both floral envelopes 

 united. But in many species of Eucalyptus a double 

 operculum has been observed ; in these the outer oper- 

 culum, which generally separates at a much earlier stage, 

 may, perhaps, be considered as formed of the calyx, and [6oo 

 the inner consequently of corolla alone, as in Eudesmia : 

 this view of the structure appears at least very probable 

 in contemplating Eucalyptus t/lobulus, in which the cica- 

 trix caused by the separation of the outer operculum is 

 particularly obvious, and in which also the inner oper- 

 culum is of an evidently difierent form. 



Jussieu, in some observations which he has lately made 

 on this subject, {in Atmales dii mus. 19. jy. 432,) seems 

 inclined to consider the operculum of Eucalyptus as 



