190 
PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO 
[Poly galea. 
Sect. IV. Eucomesperma, Steetz, in Lehm. Plant. Preiss. ii. 295. 
Leaves conspicuous. Anterior sepals free, much shorter than the wings. Capsule attenuated into 
a long stipes. Seeds long-downy. 
Comesperma ericimim, Cand. Prodr. i. 334$ J. Hook. Flor. Tctsvn. i. 32$ C. cordifolium, All. 
Cunn. in Field’s New South Wales , 337$ C. linarifolium, All. Chinn. in Steetz Plant. Preiss. ii. 297$ C.lati- 
folium, Steetz, l . c. 295 $ C. acutifolium, Steetz, l. c. 296. 
Frutescent, erect $ leaves numerous, oblong*- or linear-lanceolate, rarely ovate, usually vnucronulate , 
reflexed or revolute at the margin ; racemes many-flowered $ pedicels about as long as the flowers ; lateral 
bracteoles half or less than half as long* as the semilanceolate middle one; anterior sepals free, all much 
shorter than the generally pink broad-ovate wings $ petals glabrous $ filaments nearly to the summit diadel- 
phous $ capsule truncate at the apex, long-stipate $ seeds broad-ellipsoid, long’-comose $ stropkiole protracted 
into a short chalazal appendage ; cotyledons elliptical. 
On heathy tracts as well of the lowlands as mountains, not rare in the southern and eastern parts of 
the Colony of Victoria $ found also in Tasmania, and northward to lat. 26° S. in East Australia. 
Stems from 1-3 feet high, downy or more frequently glabrous, usually branched towards the summit, 
cylindrical. Branches upwards angular. Leaves short-stalked or almost sessile, of rather thick consistence, 
from 2-12 lines long*, from §-l| line broad, more or less patent, terminated by a short often recurved mucro, 
slightly keeled by the beneath prominent midrib $ those nearest to the flowers often small and ovate. 
Bacemes forming usually at the summit of the branches a corymbose panicle, comparatively short, hardly 
pedunculate. Bracteoles caducous $ the middle one about 1 line long $ the lateral ones lanceolate-subulate, 
J line long $ all semilanceolate, acuminate. Exterior sepals pale-colored, membranous, glabrous, deltoid- 
semiovate, about § line long. Inner sepals broad-obovate, hardly unguiculate, about 3 lines long, excelling* 
a little the length of the corolla. Carina with two short folds at the galea and thus trilobulate. Posterior 
petals nearly as long as the carina, oblique-oblong, curved. Bundles of filaments only at the very summit 
divided into their constituent parts. Anther's yellow, truncate-ellipsoid, about ^ line long. Style mem¬ 
branous, smooth, compressed, about 2 lines long, gently curved, upwards dilated, at the base attenuated, 
truncate and slightly emarginate at the inclinate summit at the termination of the upper edge swollen into a 
yellow stigmatic gland. Capsule 3—5 lines long*, obcordate-spathulate, upwards surrounded with a very 
narrow border $ the angles of the summit more or less apiculate. Seeds about 1 line long. Testa almost 
black, downy with short persistent hair and comose with long straight tender separable villi, which attain 
three or four times the length of the seed. Strophiole extended along the raphe at the inner edge of the seed 
in a narrow line to the chalaza, whence it is expanded into a minute semiovate or semiorbicular glabrous 
appendage. Albumen exceedingly scanty. Cotyledons slightly convex outward, narrow elliptical, about four 
times as long as the radicle. 
Comesperma patentifolium seems only a variety with very spreading and towards the base remarkably 
dilated leaves. 
Comesperma retusum, Lahill. Nov . Holl. Plant . Specim. ii. 22, t. 160 $ Steetz , in Lelim. Plant. 
Preiss. ii. 295 $ J. Hook. FI. Tasm. i. 32. 
Shrubby, erect, tall $ leaves numerous, oblong or lanceolate- or oval-oblong, blunt, flat or inflexed at 
the margin ; racemes many-flowered, corymbose $ pedicels about as long as the flowers $ lateral bracteoles 
half or more than half as long as the cymbiform-semilanceolate middle one $ anterior sepals free, all conspi¬ 
cuously shorter than the obovate generally purple wings $ petals glabrous $ filaments nearly to the summit 
diadelphous $ capsule long-stipitate, short-bilobed at the summit $ seeds ellipsoid- ovate, long-comose ; stro¬ 
phiole obliterated ; cotyledons elliptical. 
