Page:A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2.djvu/623

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Descriptions of Plants.]
APPENDIX.
609

CALECTASIA.

Ord. Nat. Junceæ.

Syst. Linn. Hexandria Monogynia.

Char. gen. Perianthium inferum, tubulosum, hypocrateriforme, persistens: limbo petaloideo 6-partito, æstivatione imbricata. Stamina 6, fauci inserta: Antheris conniventibus, poro duplici apicis dehiscentibus. Ovarium uniloculare, trispermum, ovulis erectis. Stylus filiformis. Stigma simplex. Utriculus monospermus, tubo indurate perianthii inclusus.

Calectasia Cyanea. Tab. 9.

Calectasia cyanea Prodr. fl. nov. holl. 264.

On barren hills, near the shores of King George's Sound; flowering in December.

DESC. Fruticulus ramosissimus erectus cæspitem efformans, pedalis sesquipedalis, glaber; caule inferne tereti, basibus persistentibus foliorum squamoso. Folia e basibus dilatatis semivaginantibus imbricatis patula, acerosa ancipitia rigida semuncialia, mucrone brevi pungenti terminata, glabra; ramea patula, ramulorum modice patentia confertiora. Flores ramulos breves ultimos terminantes solitarii, sessiles, foliis floralibus minoribus confertissimis, intimis albicantibus, infernè cincti. Perianthium: Tubo angusto-infundibuliformi subcarnoso viridi striato, extus villosiusculo, intus glabro: Limbo stellatim patulo, laciniis lanceolatis brevissime mucronulatis immerse nervosis parum concavis vivide cæruleis, disco extus villosiusculo. Stamina 6: Filamenta fauci perianthii inserta, limbi laciniis opposita, conniventia curvata cærulea glabra: Antheræ approximatæ, liberæ, oblongo-lineares obtusæ, basi emarginatæ affixæ, infernè quadriloculares, supernè biloculares poro duplici apicis dehiscentibus. Ovarium subcylindraceum utrinque attenuatum dilute viride glabrum, longitudine tubi perianthii, uniloculare, trispermum, ovulis erectis: Stylus filiformis glaber cæruleus, basi pallidiore pauloque crassiore, pariter ac filamenta curvatus, staminibus paulo longior: Stigma acutum. Utriculus tubo indurato perianthii inclusus, tenuis, juxta basin transversim abscedens margine lacero, calyptra apicem seminis maturescentis tegente. Semen unicum, maturescens elongato-pyriforme teres tenuiter striatum, basi caudata funiculo capillari affixum. Integumentum simplicissimum nucleo arcte cohærens, apice area fusca notatum. Albumen semini conforme, dense carnosum, album, apice insculptum cavitate superficiali area fusca incrassata integumenti repleta. Embryo . . . .