NOTES ON LEPTOSPERMUM VAR. GRANDIFLORUM. 



NOTES ON LEPTOSPERMUM FLAVESCKNS Sm„ 

 var, GRANDIFLORUM Benth. 



By Edwin Chkel. 



Rend before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, December 1, 1920, 



In defining this from the normal species L. flavescens, 

 Bentbam 1 gives the following description : — "Leaves rather 

 large. Flowers larger than in any other variety." The 

 habitat given is Parramatta (Woolls), Blue Mountains (A. 

 Cunningham), and Tasmania (0. Stuart). 



It is of special interest to note that L. grandiflorum 

 Lodd. Bot. Cab. tab. 514 (1821) together with L. nobile 

 F.v.M. and L. virgatum Schau., are quoted as synonyms. 



When we refer to Loddige's work for particulars as to 

 where his material came from, we find the following are 

 given, viz., "A very fine species, a native of Van Dieman's 

 Land ; it grows to about two feet in height, the branches 

 are angular, and the leaves, which are obscurely 3-nerved 

 have a twist at their insertion, which causes them to stand 

 edge-ways. The flowers are an inch in diameter, are 

 membranaceous, and being placed one between each petal, 

 add much to the beauty of the flower ; the style and germen 

 were wanting in some of the flowers of our plant." 



It might be gathered from the above remarks that the 

 original material from which the drawing was made came 

 from Tasmania, but although the illustration somewhat 

 resembles some of the forms of what we regard as the var. 

 grandiflorum, it is not possible to give a decisive determin- 

 ation, especially as we have no specimens of either typical 



1 Fl. Aust. iii, p. 105 (1866;. 



