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Flora of Australia. 137

Variety GUNNII (P. GUNNII, Benth.). In Ann. der Wien.
Mus., ii., 82 (1839).

This has narrower, usually spreading stipules, the inner large
bracts are usually absent, but in all the forms, including the
type, the bracts usually fall as flowering advances, and some
forms of our Gunnii, have much larger bracts than others. In
the typical forms the leaves are usually broader at the base and
taper more or less towards a usually pointed apex. In the
typical A. stricta the leaves are usually broader near the the apex
then suddenly contracting to a distinct point. The difference
is more constant on the larger stem leaves.

Variety LARGIFLORENS (P. LARGIFLORENS), F. v. M.
In Benth. Fl. Austr., ii., 134 (1864).

The flowers may be either axillary or lateral, or in terminal
clusters, the bracteoles are usually inserted higher up on the
calyx tube, and the two upper calyx teeth are less or not at all
falcate, and the fruits usually smaller.

Variety INCURVATA, new var. Locality, Frankston, Coll.
J. W. Audas, 1907

This has the leaves with hard, minutely-pointed, recurved tips,
giving the plant a peculiar harsh feel when drawn through the
fingers. In some respects it is intermediate between the variety
Maideni and the type form.

Pultenaea retusa, Sm., comes near to some forms of P. stricta,
but the calyx teeth are of more equal shape and length, and the
calyx is hardly bilabiate. The usually straight upper calyx teeth
of variety largiflorens show an approach to this species.

It may seem a bold course to reduce these three well-known
species, but the numerous connecting links leave no other course
possible, and there is no evidence as to the existence of hybridization
between the four species. Variety largiflorens, shows
the largest, variety Gunnii a lesser, and variety Maideni the
least divergence from the type, but the same reasons that could
be urged for their maintenance as distinct species could be used
to found at least 12 species out of the numerous connecting forms.
It may be taken as a general rule that in all the large genera the
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