356 
Neue Litteratur. 
Very spreading, yet attaining a height of 25 feet, but only a very 
slender stem. Flowers pinkish-white. 
This species, whicb adds a genus to the records of the Australian 
flora is closely related to S. Samoense • but that plant, according to 
specimens collected by the Rev. T. S. Whitmee, differs already in 
leaves almost rounded at the base, with copious denticulations and a 
closer nervature, in shorter stamens and styles, as well as in the 
augmented number of the fruitlets. From S. Vilieuse the Australian 
plant is separated by always simply opposite leaves, terminal inflorescence, 
lono-er pedicels, larger flowers, much exserted stamens and fruitlets not 
serveral times longer than the calyx. S. Macgillivragi from the New 
Hebrides is as yet imperfectly known, but the leaves are described as 
serrate and the flowers as always tetramerous. S. Graeflei and S. 
Katakata from Fiji are also allied, but not identical. The New 
Caledonian congeners are stillfmore distinct. 
Named in honour of Mr. Alex. Davidson, who shared in the 
dangers and toils of Mr. Say er’s recent ascent of the highest mountain 
in tropical Australia, never scaled before. 
Dracophyllum Sayeri. Stem very much elongated, straggling, 
widely entangled-branched; leaves crowded at and near the upper end 
of the branchlets, very long, broad-linear, gradually attenuated upwards 
and much narrowed towards the apex, clasping at the base, through 
longitudinal incurvaturG somGwliat concavG, smooth. also along ^ tho 
maro-in; the floral leaves abbreviated, early deciduous; panieles terminal, 
rather long, not very spreading; bracts narrow, fugacious; peduncles 
and pedicels short-downy, the latter conspicuous; sepals lanceolar-ovate, 
o-labrous; corolla three or four times as long as the calyx, divided to 
near the middle into almost semilanceolar bluntish lobes; stamens 
inserted near the summit of the corolla-tube; filaments broadish, hardly 
longer than the anthers; style of much less length than the corolla; 
hvpogynous disk shortly divided into semiorbicular somewhat truncate 
lobes; fruit as long as the calyx or slightly longer; placentas conspi- 
cuously stalked, deeply pendent; seeds almost oblique-ovate; testa 
subtle-reticulated. . , , ,„ AA , rOAA , 
On Mount Bellenden-Ker, at elevations between 4500 and o200 leet; 
Height of the plant to 20 feet; branches intricately spreading, often 
horizontal, rather elastic, reaching a length of 25 feet, thus the whole 
forming an almost impenetrable mass. Leaves, so far as seen, attammg 
a length of V 2 feet, and reaching in the lower portion a breadth ot 
3/ inch. Panicle short-stalked, to 8 inches long, hardly everabove 
l 1 / inch broad. Pedicels scattered or somewhat fascicled. Flowers 
very numerous, occasionally tetramerous. Bracts variously shoiter than 
half an inch, attenuated towards both ends. Sepals acute. Corolla 
about 7, inch long, quite white or rosy-tinged. Stamens emergmg. 
Fruit rather broader than long, depressed. _ 
In its mode of growth this species seems quite peculiar; m lts toliage 
and inflorescence it approaches D. Fitzgeraldi; but the leaves are not 
serrulated, still longer and beneath more prommently streaked , the 
panieles less downy and the hypogynous disk is not deeply clett into 
distinct scales; irrespective of these distinctions, the species oi Howes 
Island may have different flowers. 
From D. Milligani it recedes in leaves of lesser size neither so rigid 
nor rough at the edges, in panieles not quite so elongated with thinner 
peduncles, in shorter sepals but longer corolla-lobes, much adnate 
filaments and not deeply slit disk. The New Zelandian species stand 
as regards their characteristics still further away systematically. ihe 
nearest affinity is with the New Caledonian D. verticillatum, 
has very similar leaves, but they are distinctly though mmutely denti- 
culated, while de panicle is more spikelike contracted on a more robust 
peduncle and the sepals are of an almost orbicular form; the stature 
is also quite different, though perhaps much influenced by locality.J 
