54 
No. 49. 
Callitris propinqua, R.Br. 
Botanical description, —Species, C. propinqua, R.Br., ex Mirb. Mem. Mus. Par., 
xiii, 74 (1825). 
Branchlets. —Slender, the internodes rounded, and with very obtuse angles. 
Male amenta. —Solitary, or 2 or 3 together; about 2 to 3 lines long. 
Fruit-cones .—Clustered on the old wood on thick peduncles; globular or rather oblong; above 
1 inch long when opened; the valves wrinkled or sparingly warted, mostly tesselated inside 
round the short central column. 
Fertile seeds .—Dark brown, with two large rounded spreading wings, the whole seed at least 
twice as long as broad. 
This is a species which of late years has been confused with C. Muelleri on 
the one hand, and C. verrucosa on the other. One must keep to the type, especially 
as I have prominently drawn attention to the somewhat arbitrary boundaries of 
most of the species. Brora C. Muelleri, C. propinqua may be separated by the 
perfectly smooth cones and coarse angular branchlets of the former. It has the 
smooth branchlets often seen in C. verrucosa, and it has often a few warts on the 
valves; its affinity to C. verrucosa, a species name which has by Mueller been used 
somewhat as a drag-net, is evident. The stout peduncles, and the way in which the 
cones remain on the old wood for years, separate this species and verrucosa from 
robusta. 
Range. —The type came from “ He des Kangourous, sur la cote meridionale, 
lat. 36°.” This is, of course, off South Australia. I have specimens from Kangaroo 
Island through the kindness of Constable Thorpe, and also of Miss E. J. Benham 
and Mr. Walter Gill, I have also seen Waterhouse’s specimens from Kangaroo 
Island, which were labelled Frenela robusta by Parlatore. The species extends to 
the mainland, being found in South Australia. Going west we find it in Western 
Australia, and eastward it occurs in Victoria and New South Wales. 
South Australia. 
Sandy Creek, near Gawler, (W. Gill). This tree certainly has affinity to 
C. Muelleri in angularity of branchlets, fruits (lustre, columella, seeds, and seed 
cones). Some of these specimens have branchlets as slender as those of Mr. Baker’s 
C. gracilis. It has also affinity hotli to C. robusta and verrucosa, as any observer 
may see. The fact is that in Callitris one must closely adhere to the type, and this 
is specially the case with such species as columellaris, Muelleri, and propinqua. 
