Edwards's Botanical Register/Appendix to the first twenty-three volumes/A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River Colony/Haemodoraceae
Hæmodoraceæ.
The West coast of New Holland seems to be the headquarters of this natural order, to which the expression "nullibi copiosæ," recently applied to it, is no longer applicable; for at the Swan River they seem to form about one-fiftieth of the species. As the order is very little known, and as every addition to it is on that account interesting, it will be as well to notice here all the species of the Colony with which I have any acquaintance.
0f Phlebocarya there is one species,195 a narrow-leaved sedgy plant, with dwarf panicles of small flowers, of no beauty.
Hæmodorum produces three, one of which is perhaps the same as the H. planifolium of Port Jackson, and the other
(195) Phlebocarya lævis; foliis linearibus ensiformibus longissimis glabris, panuculâ nanâ, sepalis petalisque mox deflexis, ovulis apice alatis.
two new. Of these H. paniculatum196 is about three feet high, with stout branched stems, sparingly clothed with very narrow leaves, and a terminal panicle of rather large flowers, among which are intermixed many coloured bracts; and H. simplex,197 has similar leaves, but is much more dwarf, while its flowers are collected compactly in heads surrounded by broad bracts; both these are deserving cultivation.
Of the singular woolly genus Tribonanthes198 there are four species, all different from T. australis; they are plants of no beauty, as far as can be ascertained by their appearance in the form of dried specimens.
Conostylis the most abounds in species, some of which are handsome, but others mere weeds. C. setosa202 (Tab. VI. A) has large heads of cream-coloured woolly flowers, externally shaggy, with hairs which are sometimes purple. C. aurea203 is a much handsomer species, with a similar habit,
(196) Hæmodorum paniculatum; caule simplici stricto, foliis linearibus longissimis basi dilatatis, floribus paniculatis bracteâ spathulatâ margine membranaceâ brevioribus, sepalis petalisque medio staminiferis linearibus convolutis æqualibus.
(197) Hæmodorum simplex; caule simplici flexuoso, foliis angustissimis basi dilatatis, capitulis terminalibus solitariis involucratis: bracteis oblongis sessilibus, sepalis petalisque basi staminiferis oblongis acutis æqualibus.
(198) Tribonanthes longipetala, caule diphyllo apice lanato, floribus corymbosis, bracteis lanceolatis glabratis, perianthii foliolis linearibus patentissimis ovario duplò longioribus, filamentis dentatis antherâ brevioribus.
(199) Tribonanthes uniflora; radicibus testiculatis!, caule pubescente diphyllo: folio superiore nano margine membranaceo, flore solitario bracteâ unâ membranaceâ alterâque foliaceâ supèr lanatâ suffulto, perianthii foliolis lineari-oblongis patulis ovario æqualibus, filamentis subdentatis antherâ multò brevioribus.
(200) Tribonanthes variabilis; caule diphyllo apice lanato, floribus corymbosis, bracteis lanceolatis glabratis, perianthii foliolis oblongis patulis ovario longioribus, filamentis antheræ subæqualibus dentatis v. petaloideis longioribus.
(201) Tribonanthes brachypetala; caule supra basin diphyllo sursùm elongato hirsute, floribus capitatis, perianthii foliolis reflexis intùis glabris ovario brevioribus, filamentis carnosis triquetro-truncatis dentatis antherâ longioribus.
(202) Conostylis setosa (Tab. VI. A); foliis glabris falcatis margine setosis scapo simplici lanato æqualibus, perianthiis intus lanatis extus villosissimis, filamentis subulatis uniseriatis.—Villi calycis longissimi basi tantùm plumosi.
(203) Conostylis aurea; foliis glabris margine setoso-serrulatis scapo simplici lanato multò longioribus, perianthiis intus glabriusculis extùs croceo-lanatis, antheris sessilibus sagittatis uniseriatis.—Villi calycis elongati apice attenuati, basi plumosi.
but flowers of a bright golden yellow. C. bracteata204 has smaller heads, subtended by a leafy bract, and they are covered with a coarse, rigid wool; it is very near another plant which answers to Brown's definition of C. aculeata, from which it differs in the margins of the leaves being closely serrulated, in its stem not being furnished with short smooth shining scales, and in its smaller flowers subtended by a leafy bract. C. dealbata205 is much like the two latter, but its flowers are almost gyrate rather than capitate, and the leaves are hoary. The remainder consist of C. setigera, R. Br., and C. caricina,206 both small inconspicuous species, with C. æmula,207 which forms sedgy tufts of leaves overtopping the yellow hairy heads of flowers.
Nearly allied to Conostylis are two genera hitherto un- described. The first, which may be called Blancoa,208 has a large tubular perianth with an erect limb, and plaits between the segments, included subsessile anthers, and a bony three-valved capsule which is nearly superior, and bears the placentæ on the dissepiments; this is a fine showy plant, with
(204) Conostylis bracteata; foliis glabris marglne densè setulosis scapo furfuraceo mono-di-phyllo æqualibus, capitulis bracteâ foliaceâ canescente brevioribus, perianthiis intus glabris extus aspero-villosis, antheris subsessilibus uniseriatis.—Villi calycis breves rigidi ad apicem usque setoso-plumosi.
(205) Conostylis dealbata; foliis incanis ciliatis scapo tomentoso multò brevioribus, racemis capitatis bifidis subsecundis bracteâ obtusa longioribus, perianthiis intus glabris extus aspero-tomentosis, antheris subsessilibus uniseriatis.—An C. candicans, Endl.? sed perianth, intus glabrum.
(206) Conostylis caricina; foliis linearibus rigidis integerrimis glaberrimis falcatis scapo simplici tomentoso medio monophyllo duplò longioribus, capitulis bracteis longioribus, perianthiis intus glabris extus aspero-tomentosis: laciniis tubo duplo longioribus, staminibus uniseriatis.
(207) Conostylis æmula; foliis rectis acuminatis glabris setis longissimis inflexis ciliatis scapo simplici lanato medio monophyllo longioribus, perianthiis intus lanatis extùs aspero-villosis: laciniis tubo brevioribus, staminibus biseriatis.—Variat. folio scapi herbaceo elongato setoso et membranaceo glabro; an sp. 2?
(208) Blancoa. Perianthium extus tomentosum, ferè inferum, elongato-campanulatum: limbo 6-dentato erecto æquali, tubo inter lacinias plicato. Antheræ 6, subsessiles, basi laciniarum insertæ. Capsula nucamentacea, ferè libera, nitida; fundo perianthii persistentis inclusa, 3-valvis; valvis medio septiferis seminiferis stylis apice tantum cohærentibus terminatis.
Blancoa canescens. Acaulis, Barbaceniæ vultu. Folia equitantia, incana, retrorsum falcata, acuminata, scapi longitudine. Scapus palmaris, furfuraceo-tomentosus, pone basin monophyllus, supra medium squamâ unicâ cucullatâ rigidâ uniflorâ instructus, apice bi-triflorus. Flores magni, nutantes, extus pedunculique plumoso-villosi.
the habit of Barbacenia, and flowers more than an inch and half long. The second, which I propose to name Androstemma junceum,209 is a rushy plant of no beauty, although its flowers are an inch and half long, for they are green and buried among the leaves.
Finally, of the well-known genus Anigozanthus there are not only the A. Manglesii and flavida with their beautiful green and purple varieties, but there is a dwarf species still handsomer than they are, in consequence of the compactness of the flowers and the short neat foliage; this A. humilis210 would be a handsome addition to our gardens; a figure of it is given at B in Plate VI.
(209) Androstemma. Perianthium extus tomentosum, semisuperum, cylindraceum: limbo æquali sexpartito reflexo. Stamina 6, fauce inserta, æqualia, longè exserta; antheris linearibus rectis. Ovarium 3-loculare, polyspermum: placentis in centro axeos sphæricis; stylus subulatus basi 3-partibilis. Stigma simplicissimum.
Androstemma junceum. Acaulis, radice multicipiti. Folia spithamæa, compresso-teretia, acuminata, erecta, glaberrima. Flores 1½ poll. longi, extus virides, tomentosi, limbi laciniis æquilongis angustissimis reflexis. Pedicelli breves, uniflori, erecti, apice bracteas quasdam membranaceas gerentes.
(210) Anigozanthus humilis (Tab. VI. B); rhizomate cormoideo squamato cyanescente, foliis falcatis hirsutis et glabriusculis scapo simplici lanato multò brevioribus, racemo secundo elongato, perianthii limbo erecto, antheris muticis.