228 



AFFINITIES. 



Mueller did not express any opinion as to its affinities. Luehmann wrote to 

 me, " Described from too imperfect material to make recognition at all certain." 

 I am, however, satisfied that it is a valid species. 



1. With E. Oldfieldii, F.v.M., var. Drummondii. 



Bentham's words are : " Although evidently allied to E. Drummondii, this 

 appears to he specifically distinct both in the leaves and the parts of the flowers.') 

 B.F1 iii, 238.) 



It certainly has resemblance, in the buds and flowers, to 36, Plate 74, a form 

 of E. Oldfieldii, var. Drummondii, labelled Drummondii at Kew, and of which I 

 have not seen a specimen. This is probably the specimen to which Bentham 

 referred. 



The leaves of E. orb/folia are much broader than of any form of E. Oldfieldii 

 known. 



2. With E. pyriformis, Turcz. 



E. orbifolia certainly has some resemblance to E. pyriformis, because of the 

 striae of its comparatively large operculum, but the leaves are far too broad for that 

 species. The anthers may turn out to be more closely alike than the drawing of 

 E. orbifolia, made from imperfect material, would lead us to believe. 



