Franklandia fucifolia. Tab. 6.
Franklandia fucifolia, Linn. soc. transact. 10, p. 157. Prodr. fl. nov. holl. 370.
In moist heaths near the shores of King George's Sound, on the south west coast of New Holland, found in flower and with ripe seed in December, 1801.
DESC. Frutex erectus ramosus 2-3 pedes altus glaber, glandulis pustuliformibus aurantiacis undique conspersus. Rami teretes striati, epidermide tenui cinerea. Folia alterna triuncialia filiformia, basi per spatium semunciale indivisa, dein dichotoma, laciniarum apicibus fastigiatis, ultimæ dichotomiæ ramulo altero bifido altero simplici. Spicæ axillares solitariæ simplicissimæ raræ peduuculatæ erectæ, foliis parum longiores: pedicellis alternis basi unibracteatis; bractea ovata obtusa concava sesquilineam longa, post lapsum perianthii fructiferi persistenti. Perianthinm luteum fere biunciale, extus conspersum pustulis rufescentibus: Ungues in tubum cylindraceum cohærentes, extra medium pappo caryopsidis expandenti solubiles et decidui; inferne arctius connati indurati persistentes: Laminæ tubo breviores, æquales lanceolatæ, disco plano, marginibus adscendentibus parum undulatis vividiusque coloratis, sub æstivatione induplicatis. Stamina 4, inclusa, antherarum apicibus faucem semiclaudentibus: Filamenta medio tubo perianthii quasi inserta, laciniis opposita et iisdem longitudinaliter arcte cohærentia: Antheræ lineares dimidio superiore filamenti in mucronulum ultro producti adnatæ, loculis appositis longitudinaliter dehiscentibus: Pollen flavum subglobosum obsoletissimè trigonum læve. Vaginula dimidio inferiore tubi perianthii arctissime adnata, ita ut quasi ad eandem altitudinem ac filamenta inserta, supernè soluta quadridentata, demum increscenti caryopsidi quadrifida, laciniis subulato-linearibus cum staminibus alternantibus. Ovarium teretiusculum, monospermum: dimidio inferiore barbato pilis strictis copiosis, tenuiore et in pedicellum sensim angustato: superiore fusiformi glabro striato: apice coronatum Pappo sessili capillari e pilis strictis acutis formato, ipsum ovarium aliquoties superante. Stylus filiformis erectus altitudine staminum lanatus apice glabro. Stigma 605] turbinatum indivisum glabrum, apice depresso. Caryopsis crustacea, dimidio inferiore persistenti indurato tubi perianthii inclusa, striata apice dilatata in vaginulam brevem subcyathiformem extus pappigeram intus glabram. Semen fusiforme, membrana propria tenuissima apice chalaza fusca insignita. Albumen nullum. Embryo erectus subcylindraceus albus; Cotyledones brevissimæ semiorbiculatæ; Radicula maxima elongato-turbinata teres acuta; Plumula inconspicua.
Obs. Franklandia, though evidently belonging to Proteaceæ, differs from the whole of that family in at least three points of structure, any one of which may equally be assumed as the essential character of the genus; namely, in the antheræ being fixed through their whole length to the laciniæ of the perianthium; in the squamæ which alternate with the stamina so intimately cohering at their base with the lower half of the calyx that they appear to
