Violacece.] 
THE COLONY OE VICTORIA. 
69 
Tribe II. ALSODINEiE, R. Br. Observ. on the Herb. coll, by C. Smith m the vicinity of Congo, p. 21. 
Petals equal. 
HYMENANTHERA. 
Banks , according* to JR. Br. 1. c. 
Sepals without appendages, imbricate in prseflorescence. Petals equal. Filaments bearing a 
dorsal scale, coherent towards the base, continued beyond the anthers into a terminal arid appendage. 
Style short. Stigma bifid. Ovary one-celled, with 2-4 ovules. Berry 1-4-seeded. 
Shrubs of South-Eastern Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and Norfolk Island. Leaves 
scattered or fasciculate, minutely stipulate. Pedicels axillary or lateral, solitary or fasciculate. 
Flowers small, hermaphrodite or polygamous. Petals yellow or green.— dug. in Mem. Cenev. ii. 
t. 2 f. g .; Endl. Prodr. Flor. Norf. 70 ; Endl. Iconograph. 108; J. Hook Flor. of New Zeal. i. 19, 
t. vii. 
This genus establishes, according to R. Brown, the affinity between Violarinse and Polygaleae. 
It is the only known Australian one of the Alsodineous tribe, and approaches, as ingeniously pointed 
out by Jos. Hooker, nearest to Melicytus, a genus only noticed in New Zealand and Norfolk Island, 
which differs principally in a 8-5-cleft stigma and corresponding number of placentae. Its habitual 
resemblance to certain Pittosporese is easily recognized. 
Hymen anther a Banksii, F. M. First Gen. Report, p. 9; H. ang-ustifolia, R. Br. in Cancl. 
Prodr. i. 315; J. Hook. FI. Tasm. i. 27 ; H. dentata, R. Br. 1. c .; Hook. Bot. Magaz. 3163. 
Leaves generally oblong- or cuneate-linear and short-stalked; pedicels solitary or twin, rarely fascicu¬ 
late; dorsal appendage of the stamens cuneate-linear, emarginate ; terminal one involute at the sides, jagged 
at the apex. 
On the shady hanks of rivers, creeks and runlets; not rare in the southern and south-eastern part of 
the Colony of Victoria, from the marshy lowlands to the highest summits of the Australian Alps, where it 
generally occurs in fissures of rocks. Further dispersed through many parts of Tasmania and through 
Eastern Australia as far north as New England. 
A stout shrub, many feet high, except when occurring in alpine localities, where its growth and habit 
are diminutive and depressed. Branches rigid, almost cylindrical, sordidly brown or pale-grey, minutely 
lenticellated. Branchlets spreading, not unfrequently spinescent, in young plants often subulate or even 
acicular, occasionally downy-scabrous. Leaves coriaceous, shining, generally inch long and 1-4 lines 
broad, tapering gradually into a very short petiole, blunt, one-nerved, conspicuously veined, perfectly entire 
or remotely and callously denticulated, sometimes of uniform color above and below, sometimes paler beneath, 
occasionally verging into a lanceolate or ovate form. Sapling-s produce exceptionally leaves of a thinner 
texture, fully 3 inches long and 1J inch broad, with long petioles and coarse unequal notches. Stipules 
generally less than \ line long, membranous, at first semilanceolate, at a later period more deltoid, very 
sligktly fringed. Pedicels decurved, forming often a spurious leafy unilateral raceme, varying in length from 
|-2 inches, provided towards the middle with two alternate or opposite nearly ovate bracteoles, which are 
generally about J line long, and with similar bracts at the base. Sepals ovate-orbicular, very finely or 
hardly visibly ciliolated; the three outer ones about % fine long; the two inner ones about 1 line long, as 
well as the pedicels not rarely pruinose. Petals ovate-oblong, one-nerved, outside pale- inside full-yellow, 
lb-2 lines long, broader below* than above; the upper fourth-part reflexed; the lower portion hardly 
divergent. Filaments but slightly extending below the anthers; their posterior scale free, glabrous, 
