113 



PIMELEA CERNUA. 



(Drooping Pimelea.) 



LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER. 



DIANDB.IA MONOGYNIA. THYMELACB*. — (Lindl.) 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Pimelea (Banks et Solander). Perianthium infundibuliforme, limbo 4-fido, fauce esqua- 

 mata. Stamina duo, fauci inserta, laciniis exterioribus opposita. Stylus lateralis. Stigma 

 capitatum. Nuoc corticata, rard baccata. 



Frutices. Folia opposita, rard alterna. Flores capitati terminales, foliis involucrantibus 

 saepe dissimilibus, interdum connatis, varius spicati vel axillares, quandoque dioici. Perianthii 

 tubus in plerisque medio articulatus articulo inferiore persistente. — Br. Prod. Flor. Nov. Holl. 

 p. 359. 



Perianth funnel-shaped, limb with four divisions, throat without scales. Stamens two, 

 inserted in the throat and opposite to the exterior divisions of the perianth. Style situate on the 

 one side. Stigma capitate. Nut coated with a hard covering, rarely a berry. 



Shrubs. Leaves opposite, rarely alternate. Flowers in heads, terminal, having the involu- 

 cral leaves frequently dissimilar, sometimes joined, rarely spiked or axillary, and sometimes 

 dioecious. Tube of the Perianth in most joined in the middle, having the lower portion per- 

 sistent. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



P. Cernua (Brown) ; involucris tetraphyllis ; foliolis late ovatis utrinque glabris capitulum 

 subaequantibus ; perianthio infra articulationem hirsuto : foliis spathulato-linearibus. 



Involucres four- leafed; leaflets broadly ovate, smooth on each side, and nearly equal in 

 length to the head ; perianth hairy below the articulation ; leaves linear, spathulate. 



Pimelea Cernua. — Brown, Prodromus Flor. Novae Hollandice, p. 359. 



Descr. — Stem branched, from two to three feet high, of a dark reddish brown colour, naked 

 towards the base. Leaves smooth, linear, rather approaching, spathulate, increasing in size 

 towards the top. Involucral leaves smooth, broadly ovate, recurved at the apex. Flowers in a 

 dense head of a pale yellow colour. Perianth half an inch long, tubular, slender, smoothish, 

 articulated at the base with the ovarium, limb divided into four equal segments slightly reflexed. 

 Stamens two, situate in the throat of the perianth. Anthers two, roundish, dehiscing longitu- 

 dinally. Style filiform, about the length of the stamens. Stigma minute. Ovarium densely 

 hairy. 



This is a very delicate species, and is in the collection of the Birmingham 

 Botanical and Horticultural Society. ' It was raised about three years ago from 

 seeds which were presented to that establishment by Jos. Hodgson, Esq. of 



VOL. II. NO. XX. OCTOBER, 1838. Q 



