Volume 9 — PLATE DCIII. COMMERSONIA DASYPHYLLA. Hairy-leaved Commersonia.

CLASS V. ORDER V.

PENTANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. Five Chives. Five Pointals.

GENERIC CHARACTER.

Calyx monophyllus 5-partitus. Petala 5 linearia basi sublobata, apice inflexa. Nectarium 5-partitum. Filamenta ad basin petalorum, brevissima. Germen subglobosum. Styli erecti. Stigmata capitata. Capsula dura, setosa, 5-locularis, 5-valvis, loculis 2-4-spermis.

Empalement of one leaf 5-parted. Petals 5, linear, commonly lobed at the base, turned in at the point. Nectary 5-parted. Threads at the base of the petals, very short. Seed-bud nearly round. Styles erect with their summits headed. Capsule hard, bristly, with 5 cells and 5 valves, the cells from 2-to 4-seeded.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

Commersonia foliis elongato-cordatis inæqualiter serratis supra subtusque hirsutis.

Commersonia with long heart-shaped unequally toothed leaves hairy on both sides.

REFERENCE TO THE PLATE.

Commersonia dasyphylla is a low branching shrub, a native of New Holland or Van Diemen’s Land, and is remarkable for a powerful odour of cucumbers which it emits when in blossom, and even retains for some time after it is dried. Being a plant which blossoms freely in early spring, and of very easy culture, it well deserves a place in the green-house or conservatory. Only one species of Commersonia has before flowered in England, the C. echinata of our last volume (Plate 519), but which has since been discovered to be a different species from the original C. echinata of Forster; which error we take the present opportunity of correcting, and beg of our readers to erase the name echinata in our 519th plate and description, and substitute platyphylla, with the following specific description:

Commersonia platyphylla, foliis elongato-cordatis dentatis, supra stellato-hispidulis, subtus hirsutis, mollibus.

Broad-leaved Commersonia with toothed leaves of a long heart-shape, a little rough with star-like bristles on the upper side; hairy and soft below.

Another nondescript Commersonia from Van Diemen’s Land is now in our gardens, but has not yet blossomed; and we have seen dried specimens of a fifth species brought from New Holland by the late Governor King, in the collection of A. B. Lambert, esq.

We were favoured with the specimen of C. dasyphylla by Mr. Milne, from Fonthill, last April. The plant is at present in very few collections, and has not, we believe, yet blossomed anywhere else in England.