CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE QUEENSLAND FLORA, NO. 8. 
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silty clay, S. T. Blake 5674 (fruits), 1-5-1934 (tufted, decumbent, 
scarcely glaucous). Leichhardt District : Wandoan, in Brigalow country 
on heavy clay soil, C. E. Hubbard 5041 (fruits), 17-18-11-1930 (plants 
spreading over the ground, with glaucous-green leaves. Distributed ex 
Herb. Kew as Bassia divaricata (R. Br.) F. Muell.). 
A very distinctive species so far as observed confined to cleared 
Brigalow {Acacia karpophyUa) scrub country where it is very common. 
It is distinguished from its near allies by its decumbent habit and con- 
stantly four nearly equal spines of the fruiting perianth, bts closest 
affinities lie with B. tricuspis (F. Muell.) Anders, and it seems more 
distinct from that species than does B. longimspis F. Muell. Both these 
are common in Queensland but most of our material of the latter is 
scarcely typical and is hardly separable from B. tricuspis (F. Muell.) 
Anders. Anderson in his monograph has remarked on this point when 
referring to a Queensland specimen. In Anderson’s key the new 
species proposed could be placed as follows : — 
Fruiting perianth attached by a broad distended base. Spines 
3, more or less equal. Limb erect . . . . . . . . B. tricuspis 
(F. Muell.) Anders. 
Base of fruiting perianth not distended. Spines 4, more or less 
equal. Limb erect . . . . . . . . . • . . B. tetracuspis 
C. T. White. 
Bassia All. Sectio Trachycarpus sect. nov. 
Perianthium fruetiferum biloculatum, loculo superiore minore, 
semine impleto, loculo inferiore vacuo; tubus irregulariter 10-costatus, 
costis 5 in spinas compresso-angulatas productis, costis alternantibus 
minoribus in dentes minutos productis. 
Bassia Walkeri sp. nov. (PL IV). 
Suffrutex, ramis tomento lanoso dense obtectis, deinde glabre- 
scentibus. Folia linearia, crassiuscula, in juventute pilis longis albis 
sparsis obsita, 5-6 mm. longa, in sicco ca. 0.75 mm. lata. Flores solitarii ; 
perianthium floriferum subdisciforme, lanuginosum. Perianthium 
fruetiferum depresso-globosum coriaceum, 2.5 mm. diam., biloculatum, 
loculo superiore minore utriculo impleto, loculo inferiore vacuo ; tubus 
10-angulatus, angulis vel costis alternantibus minoribus, costis majoribus 
in processus (vel spinas) compresso-angulatos, plerumque furcatos, ca. 
1 mm. altos productis. Utriculus horizontalis. 
Gregory North District : Diamantina-Mackunda Creek Channels, on 
flats associated with Soda Bush (Threlkeldia proceriflora) , L. G. Walker 
(flowers), July 1941 (fruits; type), Feb. 1942. 
I have failed to place this in any of the sections of Bassia proposed 
by Anderson in his key to Australian members of the genus Bassia (Proc. 
Linn. Soc. N.S.W. Vol. xlviii., pp. 321-325). The position of the new 
section in Anderson ’s arrangement is as follows : — 
3A. Flower clusters solitary, the fruiting perianths not connate. 
5. Spines broadly flattened, forming horizontal appendages Section V. 
Platyacantha. 
5a. Spines not flattened, acicular Section III. 
Anisacantha. 
5b. Spines compressed-angular, erect, mostly furcate or 
lobed at the top Section IIIA. 
Trachycarpus. 
