Page:Flora Australiensis Volume 5.djvu/588



by Meissner on account of the foliage; the inflorescence and involucre, usually more indicative of true affinity, are more those of the Niveæ. The sectional character and consequently the real place cannot be ascertained until the fruit shall have been examined.

.—Flower-heads axillary, ovoid or small, enveloped in long floral leaves. Leaves either pinnate with very small rigid segments or more frequently pinnatifid with very rigid pungent-pointed lobes.

26. D. sclerophylla, ''Meissn. in Hook. Kew Journ.'' vii. 123. ''and in DC. Prod.'' xiv. 474. Apparently a low but erect shrub, not much branched. Leaves under 3 in. long, pinnate; segments numerous, triangular, acute, rarely 2 lines long, rigid, with revolute margins shortly decurrent to the next segments. Flower-heads not numerous, axillary or sometimes terminal, closely surrounded by numerous floral leaves of 2 or 3 in. Involucre 7 to 8 lines long, the bracts lanceolate, tapering into plumose points. Perianth about ¾ in. long, silky-villous, the oblong obtuse limb becoming almost glabrous. Style rather longer than the perianth, with a slightly thickened stigmatic end.

27. D. pulchella, ''Meissn. in DC. Prod.'' xiv. 473. Apparently a low but stout and erect shrub, the branches scarcely tomentose. Leaves 3 to 6 in. long, crowded, pinnate, with numerous rigid spreading acute or pungent-pointed segments rarely above 1 line long, the margins revolute and decurrent to the next segment. Flower-heads on short axillary branches closely surrounded by floral leaves. Involucre small, oboid; bracts not numerous, the outer ones more or less leafy, the inner ones narrow, with long points. Perianth about 1 in. long, the tube slightly silky, the limb oblong, covered with rather long silky hairs. Style when set free nearly 1½ in. long, with a narrow but distinct stigmatic cone.

28. D. plumosa, R. Br. in Trans. Linn. Soc. x. 214, Prod. 398. A shrub of about 2 ft., the branches tomentose and sometimes densely villous with fine spreading hairs. Leaves 6 in. to 1 ft. long, deeply pinnatifid with triangular rigid acute lobes, the larger ones 2 to 3 lines long and broad, the sinuses broad, the margins recurved, tomentose underneath. Flower-heads small, sessile in the axils, surrounded by a few small floral leaves. Involucre 1 in. long, or rather more, the bracts narrow, with long filiform plumose-hairy points. Perianth ½ in. long, densely woolly-villous, the limb obling, about 1 line long. Style longer than the perianth, with a small slightly furrowed stigmatic end. Capsule about 7 lines broad.—Meissn. in Pl. Preiss. i. 592, and in DC. Prod. xiv. 470.