136G 
CXII. THYMELJE ACE/E. 
[Pimelca. 
8. P. latifolia (broad leaves), R. Br. Prod. 8G2 : Bent It. FI. Austr. vi. 23. 
A spreading silky-hairy shrub or undershrub of 1 to 2ft. Leaves alternate, 
elliptical or lanceolate, acute, tapering into a very short petiole, 1J to Sin. long, 
glabrous above, silky-hairy underneath. Elower-heads more or less lengthened 
into short spikes, shortly pedunculate above the last leaves, without involucral 
bracts, becoming lateral or in the forks of the branches by the elongation of 
the lateral shoots, the rhachis of the fruiting spike often 4in. long. Perianth- 
tube about 2 lines long, circumsciss about the middle after flowering, 
leaving a bottle-shaped fruiting base, the lobes rather short and obtuse. 
Filaments short ; anthers with a narrow connective, the cells when open placed 
back to back. Fruit shortly acuminate, epicarp membranous, endocarp more- 
hooked at the end than in many species. — Meissn. in DC. Prod, xiv, 514. 
Hab.: Cumberland Island. 7?. Drown ; Port Denison. Fitzalan: Rockhampton, Thozet; head 
of tbe Dee River, Bowman ; Mount Elliott and Mount Mueller, Dallachy. 
9. P. simplex (simple), F. v. M. in Linneea, xxv. 443; Bentli. FI. 
Austr. vi. 23. An erect slender branching annual of about 1ft., glabrous 
except the inflorescence and much resembling l\ trichostachya. Leaves 
alternate, linear, mostly about Jin. long. Flower-heads small, depressed- 
globular, surrounded when young by 2 to 4 deciduous involucral bracts like the 
stem-leaves but smaller, and remaining dense and compact after flowering, the 
hirsute rhachis not exceeding 2 lines. Flowers smaller than in P. trichostachya, 
the perianth-hairs shorter and less spreading, the tube much shorter above the 
ovary, but similarly circumsciss after flowering and the fruit the same. — Meissn, 
in Linntea, xxvi. 350, and in DC. Prod. xiv. 511. 
Hab.: Southern localities inland. 
10. P. sericostachya (spikes silky), F. r. M. Fraym. iv. 162; Bmth. PL 
Austr. vi. 24. Shrubby at the base, with erect branching stems, from under 1ft. 
to 2ft. high, the whole plant 'clothed with long silvery-silky hairs which soon 
disappear from the upper side of the leaves. Leaves alternate, lanceolate or 
oblong linear, J to lin. long. Flowers very small, in heads compact when in 
very young bud, but soon lengthening into interrupted spikes often several inches 
long, always pedunculate above the last leaf, without involucral bracts. Perianth 
shortly silky-hairy, the tube slender, about 2 lines long, circumsciss above the 
ovary after flowering, the lobes about J line. Anthers abortive in some speci- 
mens, sessile in the bisexual flowers. In fruit the persistent base of the 
perianth enlarges to 8 lines ; fruit acuminate, the epicarp membranous, the 
endocarp scarcely hooked. 
Hab.: Fellheitn River, Boicman ; Newcastle Range. T('. E. Armit (F. v. M. Fragm. xi 47). 
Yar. parvifolia. Leaves mostly about 2 lines long. 
11. P. trichostachya (spikes hairy), Lindl. in Mitch. Prop. Austr. 355; 
Bentli. PI. Au-str. vi. 24. An erect slender branching annual of about 1ft., 
glabrous and glaucous except the inflorescence. Leaves alternate, linear, 
concave, J to Jin. long. Flower-heads at first short, but soon lengthening into 
a slender interrupted hairy spike or raceme of 1 to 2in., without any involucral 
bracts different from the stem-leaves, the flowers small yellow and very shortly 
pedicellate. Perianth not above 2 lines long, the tube circumsciss above the 
ovary after flowering, the persistent base clothed with long spreading hairs ; the 
lobes not above J line long. Filaments short ; anthers oblong with a narrow 
connective, the cells when open placed back to back. Fruit acuminate, the 
epicarp membranous. — Meissn. in DC. Prod. xiv. 514 ; Calyptrostegia trichostachya v 
\Valp. Ann. iii. 325. 
Hab.: On tbe Maranoa River, Mitchell ; Bokhara Creek, Leichhardt ; Darling Downs, Law. 
