The Scientific Notebooks of German Orchidologist Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Kränzlin

Flora of Australia 129

diameter when fully expanded. Calyx divided to about the middle, the five segments with broad bases and more or less bluntly acuminate tips. Other features much as in A. quadrifidum. Seeds apparently reddish-brown, but otherwise as in A. glabrum.

The absence of any scurfy tomentum at once distinguishes these two species from A. quadrifidum. In addition A. Rodwayi has broader ovate or lanceolate leaves, the calyx is less deeply divided, the flower larger and more bulky at its base. This, with the less deeply divided calyx and the shape of the leaves distinguishes the plant from A. zygophylloides. A. glabrum is told by its glabrous wiry stems, smaller flowers and calyx deeply divided to the base.

I. Tyson, Salt Marsh, W. Australia, 1893; F.A. Rodway, M.B., dried up salt lake, Dedemona, W. Australia, 1907.

ANGIANTHUS HUMIFUSUS, Benth., var. GRANDIFLORUS. (Compositae).

In the last contribution to the Flora of Australia, No. 6, this was erroneously given as a new variety by the accidental omission of a proof correction.

CASSINIA LAEVIS, R. Br. (Compositae)

The record from C. French, Goulburn R., under the above heading, in Contributions to the Flora of Australia, No. 6, should apply to Cassinia arcuata, R. Br., wrongly recorded as C. Theodori, F. v. M.

CONOSPERMUM POLYCEPHALUM, Meisn., var. LEIANTRUM, Benth. (Protoaceae)

Diels and Pritzel1 raise this variety to specific rank as C. leianthum, Benth. The material at the National Herbarium, a part only of which appears to have been examined by Diels and Pritzel, shows conclusively that there is no reason for this change. It is impossible to lay down any clear line of demarcation

1 Fragm. Phyt. Austr. Occid., p. 141

Flora of Australia 131

ERISTEMON GRACILE, R. Grah. ([crossed out: Proteaceae] [added: Rutaceae]). In Edinb. N Phil. Journ. xvi., 1834, p. 175 = ERISTEMON DIFFORMIS, A. Cunn.

The former name is given as that of a valid species in the Kew Index, and the Nat. Herbarium possesses specimens from the Grampians, which are identical with forms of E. difformis, the glabrous petals and slightly longer flower stalks of the specimens being variable features in E. difformis. The specimens do not exactly tally with the description given in Mueller's Plants Indigenous to Victoria, I., 1860, p.125, but our specimens appear to be authenic. E. gracile is the older name, but to change the current one would be a frivolous interference with established nomenclature. Bentham seems to have entirely overlooked E. gracile, and makes no mention of it in the Flora Australiensis.

ERISTEMON INTERMEDIUS. (Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., 19, 1907, p.40 = E. DESERTI, Pritzel (Fragm. Phytog. Austr. Occ., 1905. p.320).

The plant was described before Diels' and Pritzel's work was available. Their description is exceedingly condensed, and imperfect in several respects, but specimens of their plant since received show that the two species are identical, the older name standing. Pritzel seems to have overlooked the fact that the plant is an interesting connecting link, especially as regards the stamens between the Leionema section of "Phebalium" and Eriostemon proper. The close resemblance to E. Brucci, which misled Mueller, and to which Pritzel attaches undue importance, is mainly external.

EUPHRASIA COLLINA, R. Br. (Syn. E. BROWNII, F. v. M., Fragm., v. 88 (Scrophulariaceae)

There can be no doubt that Mueller was correct in placing four of R. Brown's species in one, but as was pointed out by Bentham, the proper course was to extend one of them to include the others, and so avoid a new name. Even considered as varieties, the line of demarcation is not distinct in all cases, and the type forms show a regular gradation from the dwarf, small-

Flora of Australia. 133

part," to Mueller's reticulata, and that Bauer's figure was named, "doubtless on Brown's authority," L. straminea. Vague assumptions of this kind afford no grounds for troublesome changes of long-standing names. Indeed, a work of this characher tends to bring systematic botany into bad odour with workers in other branches, who suffer from such changes, and if there is any difficulty in regard to the specimens at the National Museum, London, surely the proper course is to add explanatory labels to them, as in the above heading. Archæology and botany are separate subjects, and should be kept apart.

Article 50 of the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature, 1905, says:—"No on is authorised to reject, change or modify a name (or combination of names) because of the existence of an earlier homonym which is universally regarded as nonvalid, or for any other motive either contestable or of little import." Hence the names should remain as before, L. Brownii Britten being a synonym for L. straminea (R.Br.), Bentham and Mueller.

MEDICAGO HISPIDA, Gaertn., var. INERMIS, Urb. (Papilionaceae). (Syn. MEDICAGO RETICULATA, Benth.). Determined at Kew Herbarium, England.

Dimboola Shire, F. M. Reader, October 16th, 1898. Geelong and Penshurst (1906), H.B. Williamson.

This Medick was recorded by Mr. Reader in the Victorian Naturalist, vol. 19 (1903), p. 159, as Medicago turbinata, Willd., but M. turbinata is quite a distinct plant from Reader's specimens. It was also known here under the names of M. striata and M. nummularia (M. cretica), but differs from both of these. As no specimens of the above variety were in the National Herbarium, the plants were sent to the Kew herbarium for verification and determined as above. It is a naturalized alien form Southern Europe.

OLEARIA HOMOLEPIS, F. v. M., var. PILOSA, new var. (Compositae).

Cowcowing, West Australia. Max Koch, No. 1087 (1904). The variety differs from the type in having slightly longer

138 Alfred J. Ewart:

term "species" should be given as broad a scope as possible, not merely for reasons of practical utility, though these are of value, but because it is precisely in such genera that groups of varieties as yet imperfectly segregated into species are most likely to occur, and by recognising such varieties as species too hastily we render it more difficult for the workers of subsequent centuries to obtain evidence of evolution in such cases. In addition, the synonymy is less likely to become so extensive as at present. Thus it is doubtful whether the genus Pultenæa contains many more than 60 valid species, although over 150 have been recorded, and the same proportion holds for most large genera.

A specimen of P. Williamsoni, Maiden1 was referred to at Kew to a variety of P. stricta. The National Herbarium contains both under P. stricta and P. paleacea speciments examined by Bentham or by Mueller, which come very close to, or practically match specimens of P. Williamsoni. Altogether there can be no doubt that the genus will not be on a satisfactory basis until cultural experiments under varying conditions have been performed with all its supposed species, and the result of such experiments will probably be to give the selected species in the genus a much wider range than they have hitherto enjoyed.

SPOROBOLUS BENTHAMI, Bailey = S. VIRGINCUS, Kunth, var. PALLIDA. (Gramineae). Queensland Flora, p. 1880, Bull. Dept. Agric. Queensland, xiii., p. 16.

The 22 sheets of this variety in the National Herbarium show a far greater range of variation than Bailey's specimen from the type, and yet have no constant character of more than varietal significance. Although the outer glumes are usually about equal, the lower one is occasioally slightly longer than the upper, and sometimes, especially on the basal spikelets, not more than half its length. In this respect, in the more hyaline outer glumes, and in the longer spike the variety shows an approach to S. indicus, R. Br., from which, however, the vegatative habit differs. It is, in fact, possible that the cultural experiments might show S. virginicus to be a marsh and maritime form of variety of S. indicus, developed in brackish situations.

1 Vict. Nat., vol. xxii,, p. 6, 1905

Flora of Australia. 139

Bailey admits that his S. Benthami, and his var. minor of S. virginicus probably form the var. pallida of S. virginicus, recognised by Bentham, and even a cursory examination of the material at the National Herbarium would have shown that the new species was untenable.

Given as new to New South Wales (L. Cudgellico) by Maiden and Betche, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.Wales, 1906, Vol. XXXI, p. 739.

TUNICA PROLIFERA (L.) Scop., var. VELUTINA (T. VELUTINA, Fisch. and Meyer). (Caryophlyllaceae).

This naturalized alien was recorded by Mueller as T. velutina in Vict. Nat. X., p. 145, 1893, and by Reader as T. polifera, in Vict. Nat., XX., p. 88, 1903. Both species are given as valid in the Kew Index, and in Boissier's Flora Orientalis]]. T. velutina differs from T. prolifera mainly in having leaves with smooth edges (instead of minutely toothed), hairy internodes (instead of glabrous), longer leaf-sheaths and smaller seeds. None of these features are constant; hairy speciments may have rough-edged leaves, and some speciments of T. velutina have the lower leaves minutely toothed entirely or in part. The length of the leaf-sheath may vary on one and the same specimen, as may also the size of the seeds. Hence the species must be reduced to a variety of T. prolifera, joined to that species by intervening forms. Most of the Victorian specimens belong to the variety velutina, but some of Mueller's are intermediate in character.

Mount Ararat, Nov., 1883, D. Sullivan; Upper Murray River, C. French, 1886; Clyde Mts., N.S.W., Oct., 1888, W. Bauerlen; Delatite, 1890 and 1891, Rev. R. Thom, Goulbourn River, 1892, W. F. Gates; near Lake Urana, N.S.W., 1894, G. Luehmann, Jnr.; near Seymour, 1902, Mrs. F.M. Reader.