33S PLANTS OP CENTRAL AUSTRALIA 



PETALOSTYLIS. 



Csesalpinearum geniiSj Labichese proxiraum. 



Char. Gen. — Cfe/y^r 5-phyllus, sequalis. Petala 5 subge- 

 qualia, patentia. Stamina : Mlamenta quinque sepalis op- 

 posita, quorum tria antherifera, autheris basifixis lineari- 

 bus, duo reliqua castrata. Ovarium oligospermum. Stylus 

 maximus, petaloideus, trilobus, lobo medio longiore axi in- 

 crassata desinente in stigma obtusura simplex ! 



Prutex glaher, erectus. Folia alterna, pinnata cum im- 

 parl, foliolis aUernis. Racemi axillares, pauciflori. Floras 

 flavi. 



SO] 13. Petalostylis Labicheoides. 



Loc. "In the bed of a creek along with Sturtia." D. 

 Sturt. 



Obs. Eadem omnino species exstat inter plantas in 

 Insulis Archipelagi Dampieri juxta orara septentrio-occi- 

 dentalem Nov83 HoUandige in itinere navis Beagle dictee 

 lectas. 



Desc. Frutex facie fere Cassise et Labicheoe. Folia alterna, 

 cum impari pinnata, foliolis alternis brevissime petiolatis 

 oblongo-lanceolatis cum mucronulo terminali paulo majore. 

 Stipulse parvse caducse. Racemi pauciflori, axillares, folio 

 breviores. Alabastrum ovali-oblongum acutiusculum. Calyx 

 viridis, sepalis subsequalibus oblongis acutis, sestivatione 

 imbricatis. Petala quinque subaequaha, oblonga, flava, astiva- 

 tione imbricata, sepalis sesquilongiora. Stamina 3 antherifera 

 sequalia, filamentis abbreviatis, antheris acutis bilocularibus, 

 loculis sulco longitudinali insculptis ; 2 reliqua rudimenta 

 parva subfiliformia. Ovarium sessile, lineare, 3-4-spermum. 

 Stylus lobo medio triplo longiore, oblongo-lanceolato, lobis 

 lateralibus auriculiformibus semiovatis obtusis. Stigma 

 iraberbe. 



Obs. The structure of the style, which forms the only 

 important character of this genus, so far as the specimens 

 enable me to judge, is so remarkable and peculiar, as to 



