Tiliacecc.] 
THE COLONY OF VICTORIA. 
151 
densely on the paler underpage, with fasciculate or stellate grey-fulvous liair. Cymes usually many-flowered, 
sometimes producing but few flowers, densely pubescent, always opposite to the leaves. General peduncles 
usually rather short, sometimes, however, elongated. Special peduncles mostly a few lines long. The alar 
pedicel varying in length from a few to 9 lines; the other pedicels shortened in various degrees, all bearing 
solitary finally deciduous bracteoles of 2-4 lines length. Flowers •without fragrance; those of the young- 
plant usually larger than those of the older plants. Calyx corollaceous, persistent, beyond the middle five- 
cleft, inside as well as outside pubescent, with exception of the greenish base white; its lobes \ lines 
long, sometimes acute, sometimes obtuse, one-nerved, finely net-veined. Petals rliomboid-obcordate, cucul- 
late-compressed and thus almost keeled, glabrous, g-1 line long, clasping the fertile stamen; the ligule of 
the petal oblong- or spathulate-linear, above slightly or partially bearded. Stamens and staminodia only 
towards the base connate into a very short tube. Filaments glabrous, capillary, less than 1 line long, pale. 
Anthers round- or renate-cordate, turned outward, brown-red, about J line broad, bursting with lateral 
fissures. Pollen-grains pallid, ovate-globose, smooth, longitudinally dehiscent. Staminodia opposite to the 
lobes of the calyx, alternate with the petals, linear-lanceolate, 1J-2 lines long, towards the basis glabrous, 
towards the soon reflexed apex downy on both sides, valvate in aestivation, sometimes, according to Gay, 
bearing small fugacious terminal anthers similar in form to those of the fertile stamens (Conf. Gay, 1. c. pi. 
12, fig. 7). Styles glabrous, about f line long, coherent, but easily separable. Stigmas 5, very minute, 
roundish, also coherent. Ovary sphseroid, asperulous. Ovules 3-4, affixed to the axil angle of the ovary. 
Capsule spherical, hard; valves measuring usually about 3 lines, outside black-brown and covered with 
subulate thorns of 1-2 lines length , which have radiating hair at the apex and scattered gland-topped hair 
along their sides; inner side of the capsule livid, shining-, smooth. Seeds 2-4 in each cell, ascendent, 
broad-ovate, brown-black, §-l line long, slightly wrinkled-rough, provided with a subcordate-cupular pale 
carnulent strophiole of about \ line length. Testa subcmstaceous. Embryo axil, as long as the fleshy 
albumen. Cotyledons flat, orbicular, hardly as long as the cylindrical inferior radicle. 
Dr. Steetz compares this plant to Seringia corollata. Rulingia hermannifolia, of -which R. oblongifolia 
seems only a variety, differs chiefly in the shortness of the fruits thorns, which, however, is not improportionate 
to the smallness of the whole fruit, for which reason this characteristic as a specific one will require further 
investigation. R. cistifolia seems to mediate the transit of both to R. pannosa. The form of the petals of 
R. corylifolia shows no essential distinction from that of the rest of the species, the petals being open to the 
base and not truly saccate, as illustrated in the Bot. Mag. t. 3182, at least in specimens examined on this 
occasion. Several of the Rulingise described by Turczaninow in the Bullet, de Moscou, 1852, are evidently 
referable to previously described species. 
Order TILIACEiE. 
Jnss. Gen. 290. 
Flowers symmetrical, mostly hermaphrodite. Sepals usually 4-5, free, rarely 
connate, valvate or rarely imbricate in prseflorescence, deciduous. Petals mostly 4-5, 
in hud imbricate, sometimes wanting. Stamens frequently indefinite in number, 
sometimes twice as many as the petals, free or united into bundles, the outer ones 
sometimes barren. Anthers terminal , two-celled, turned inwards, opening -with longi¬ 
tudinal or terminal dehiscence. Pollen-grains smooth. Ovary free, consisting of two 
or more cells or carpellary parts. Ovules 2 or several, rarely but 1, attached to the 
inner angle of the cell. Styles consolidated, sometimes not formed. Stigmas diver- 
