74 
PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO 
[■ Pittosporea . 
A tree or shrub of the extratropical and of the eastern and north-eastern intratropical parts 
of Australia and of Tasmania. Branchlets not rarely spinescent. Leaves alternate or fasciculate, 
chartaceous, entire, very rarely toothed. Racemes paniculate. Sepals minute, dropping before the 
expansion of the corolla. Petals small, almost white. Capsules obcordate- or renate-orbicular, rather 
small.— Gand. Prodr. i. 347. 
This genus mediates the transit from Pittosporum to Rliytidosporum; it differs, however, from 
both in the plane-compressed seeds. The paucity and the vertical not horizontal position of the latter, 
and the form of the corolla, distinguish it principally from Homalosporum and Hymenosporum. Habi¬ 
tually, however, Bursaria bears in its small state much more resemblance to Citriobatus than to any 
other Pittosporaceous genus. Putterlick, Endlicher and J. Hooker comprehend under Bursaria also 
Rliytidosporum. 
Sursaria spinosa, Cavan . Icon, et Descr. iv. 30, t. 530; Pot. Mag. 1 . 1767 ; Putterl. Syn. Pittosp. 
19 ; J. Mooli. FI. Tasm. i. 39 ; B. incana, IAndl. in Mitcli . Three Pxp. 224; Itea spinosa, Andr. Pot. Pep. 
t. 314; Cyrilla spinosa, Spreng. Nov. Provent. Mort. Mai. Sp Perol. 15. 
Common as well in the lowland as in the mountain districts of Victoria, particularly in stony places, 
ascending to the Australian Alps; distributed thence over the southern part of the Continent, at least as 
far as the Darling River and Streaky Bay, and over the eastern part of Australia as far as the Gulf of 
Carpentaria., being, however, rare within the tropics. Abundant throughout Tasmania. Apparently absent 
from North-Western and South-Western Australia, although reappearing towards the Murchison River, 
where it was at first noticed by J. Drummond. 
A small tree, attaining occasionally a height of folly 40 feet, often, however, particularly in barren 
and exposed localities, remaining of shrubby habit, in a young state generally producing numerous solitary 
subulate or acicular thorns of the length of a few or several lines. Bark almost black, wrinkled and fissured. 
Branches spreading. Branchlets almost cylindrical, generally covered with short downs, sometimes spinescent. 
Petioles veiy short or not developed. Leaves subject to great variations according to the age of the plants 
and the places of their growth, obovate or oblong, tapering into a cuneate base, flat, entire, seldom irregularly 
serrated, glabrous or covered beneath with an exceedingly thin grey or rarely fulvous velvet, blunt or minutely 
pointed, not rarely having a terminal notch, slightly or manifestly shining above, paler and opaque beneath, 
one-nerved, with more or less distinct veins, from 2 lines to 3 inches long, 1J-8 lines broad, flat, seldom 
revolute at the margin. Panicle often several or many inches long*, provided with but a very short general 
peduncle, consisting of several or numerous spreading oftener compound than simple racemes, frequently 
forming an ample somewhat pyramidal mass of flowers. Peduncles and pedicels glabrous or downy. The 
latter when flower-bearing 1-3 lines long, when fruit-bearing* about double as long*, patent, slender, filiform, 
hardly angular. Bracteoles similar to the sepals, exceedingly fog-aceous, solitary" at the base and apex or 
occurring* also at the middle of the pedicel, oppressed. Flowers fragrant. Sepals semilanceolate, only 
line long, slightly puberulous. Petals 5, exceptionally 4, accidentally even 6-9, membranous, 2-3 fines long, 
glabrous, lanceolate-oblong*, rather blunt or scarcely acute, very finely" three-nerved, often with a greenish or 
red tint. Stamens about as long as the petals. Filaments glabrous, subulate, white, not compressed. Anthers 
oscillating, yellow, subcordate, about A line long, aflixed to the filaments at the apex of their basal sinus. 
Pollen-grains ellipsoid, bursting* lengthwise. Style generally less than A line long, or almost obliterated. 
Stigma a mere point, not broader than the apex of the style. Stipes of the ovary dark green, stout, about 
A line, rarely 1 line long, hardly lengthened in age. Germen ellipsoid, acute, glabrous, rarely short-downv. 
Ovules several or many, affixed in two rows to each side of the septum. Capsule 2-4 lines long, a little 
broader than its length, grey r - or pale-brown, smooth, bursting* in front, never spontaneously towards the 
base, in age separating imperfectly from the apex along the dissepiment into its two carpels, which are 
