24 
PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO 
[Monimiacece. 
Tribe II. ATHEROSPERMEiE, R. Br. Append, to Flinders ’ Voyage , ii. 553 ; Tulasne, 
Monogr. Monirn. 414. 
Carpels free, dry, witli a plumose style. 
ATHEBOSPEHMA. 
Labill. Nov. Noll. Plant. Specim. ii. 74, t. 224. 
Flowers dioecious. Calyx 8 -cleft; lobes biseriate, those of the female flower deciduous. Stamens 
many, inserted to the bottom of the calyx. Filaments short with two appendages at the base. Anthers 
"with parallel cells, opening by ascendent valves , connective not protruding beyond the cells. Stami- 
nodia of the female flowers in several row r s around the faux of the calyx. Ovaries numerous, inserted 
to the long-bearded bottom of the calyx. Style elongate, oblique-terminal, plumose, persistent. Stigma 
acute. Carpels concealed in the finally enlarged and cup-shaped calyx. Embryo basilar, very minute. 
Cotyledons flat, diverging. 
An Australian and Tasmanian tree, with opposite glandulously serrated leaves, axillary solitary 
one-flowered peduncles, bibracteolate flowers and minute carpels. 
Dr. J. Hooker (Flor. Tasm. i. p. 11 ) unites with Atherosperma the genera Laurelia, Juss., and 
Learosa, Reichenb. (Doryphora, Endl, not of zoologists), whilst Tulasne retains their former limitation. 
Laurelia differs principally in its lagenar fruit, Learosa in hermaphrodite flowers and its very long 
connective. 
A doubtful congener, the Atherosperma micranthum, Tul , ., which was lately also collected by 
Mr. W. Hill at Moreton Bay, will modify to some extent the generic limits of Atherosperma, should 
its hitherto unknown fruit prove its supposed generic position to be correct R. Brown probably 
alluded to that plant and to Learosa, when he mentioned, circumspect as ever, already in the appendix 
to Flinders' work, that two atherospermous genera, distinct from the typical ones in hermaphrodite 
flowers, occurred in the colony of New South Wales. The occurrence of bisexual flowers amongst the 
members of this order is very remarkable, since the numerous extra-Australian Moniinieae are all 
declinous. 
Atherosperma xnoschatum, Labill. Nov. Noll. Plant. Spec. ii. 74, t, 224.—Native Sassafras. 
Rare in dense swampy forest gullies towards Cape Otway; more frequent at the sources of the Yarra, 
in the Dandenong* Ranges, in the Western Port district, and in the southern part of Gipps Land, forming at 
Sealer s Cove a conspicuous feature in the forest, frequently consociated with fern-trees and Fagus Cunning- 
liami. Common in Van Diemen’s Land. 
A middle-sized tree, attaining, however, sometimes the height of 150 feet. Trunk straight, covered 
v ith a greyish very aromatic bark. Branches whorled and spreading. Branchlets covered witli a yellowish- 
grey silky tomentum, at first angular, gradually terete. Leaves rather short-stalked, li -4 inches long, |- 1 | 
inch broad, thick-coriaceous, penmnerved, with spreading veins anastomosing towards the margin, in age by 
secondary veins conspicuously reticulated, lanceolate or ovate, gradually attenuated into the pointed apex, at 
t le base rather blunt, beneath clothed with an exceedingly thin glaucous tomentum, above smooth and 
shimng, with exception of the generally entire apex and base serrate, rarely quite entire, foil of subtle almost 
pe ucic c ots, at the margin somewhat thickened and slightly recurved in age, when young somewhat silky. 
ec unc tb opposite, 3-9 inch long’, rather stout, silky-tomentose. Bracteoles two opposite at the apex of the 
peunc e, almost coiiaceous, one-nerved, pointed, appressed to the calyx, broad cymbeo-ovate or roundish, 
mes on D , outride slightly velvety, inside silky, at last deciduous, forming a closed valvate involucre to 
