174 



DESCRIPTION. 



CLXXXVIII. E. confluens (W. V. Fitzgerald) Maiden. 



In Proc. Roy. Sac., N.S.W., XLIX, 317 (1915). ' 



Folias maturas solum, alabastros non perfecte matures et fructus habemus, sed planta a specie des- 

 cripta quaque differe videtur. Arbor ramulis teretibus, apicibus paullo angulatis. Foliis maturis utrinque 

 niteiitibus, angusto-lanceolatis, subfalcatis, petiolatis, pctioliis circa 2 cm. longis, lamina circa 1 dm. longa 

 ct plerumque 1 cm. lata. Veins obscures. Alabastris circa 8 mm. longis, operculo cupulaque sub-conicis 

 ot fere syrnmetricis. Staminis inversis, antheris paralleliter dehisecntibus, dorso glandula. Fructibus 

 turbinatis v. conoidei.s, sessilibus vel pedicello circa 1 mm., pedunculo communi minore 1 cm., usque ad 

 7 capitulo, circa 5 cm. longis latisque. 



The available material of this plant is very scanty, consisting of mature leaves, 

 with nearly ripe fruits attached, and a few not perfectly ripe buds picked up from the 

 ground. It is a tree. In spite of the paucity of the material, I have, after careful 

 consideration, come to the conclusion that Mr. Fitzgerald's view that it is undescribed 

 is a correct one. Ampler material will be available some day. 



BraiK'lllets round, slightly angular at the tips. 



Mature leaves. — Pale-coloured, shiny mi both sides, narrow-lanceolate, slightly falcate, petiolate. 

 petioles about 2 em. and laminae about 1 dm., with an average width of about 1 cm. Venation very faint, 

 the lateral veins very slender, attached to the midrib at about 60 degrees, the intramarginal vein close to 

 the edge. 



Flowers. — Buds about 8 mm. long, nearly symmetrical as regards the calyx-tube and operculum, 

 both of whuh are sub-conical. Then- is sometimes a pedicel of 1 mm. The rim between calyx-tube and 

 operculum is well defined- Stamens inverted, the anthers opening in parallel slits, gland at the back, filament 

 attached not quite half way up. 



Fruits. — Turbinate or conoid, not seen quite ripe, sessile or with a pedicel of about 1 mm., on a 

 common peduncle of under 1 din., up to 7 in the head, about • 5 cm. long and the same in breadth, 

 a well-defined narrow rim, slightly domed, tips of valves protruded beyond the orifice, and, when ripe, 

 they will doubtless be well exsert. (Original description.) 



The description as given stands, but Mr. Fitzgerald handed me certain MSS. on 

 his leaving for active service in April, 1916, and the following description, found 

 amongst these papers, supplements the 1915 description somewhat. 



" Arborescent ; leaves alternate or scattered, linear to linear-lanceolate, straight or falcate, acuminate, 

 obtuse, on slender petioles, rather thick, green and shining, the veins ascending but much concealed, intra- 

 marginal one confluent with the edge ; flowers 4-6 together, shortly pedicellate and forming axillary umbels 

 on slender terete peduncles ; calyx-tube obconical, tapering rather abruptly into the very short pedicel ; 

 lid conical, obtuse, shorter than the tube ; stamens inflected in the bud ; anthers oblong-ovate, with distinct 

 parallel cells dehiscing longitudinally; ovary conical, style short; fruit subglobose-truncate, not con- 

 stricted at the summit, the rim not thick, conspicuously raised above the calyx-border and projecting to- 

 wards the centre of the cavity; capsule sunk; valves 3, broadly triangular, more or less exserted; fertile 

 seeds, wingless, minutely pitted, the sterile ones angular and many times smaller. 



