Volume II Part 52 (1/2)
(*Footnote. Flinders Voyage volume 2 page 576.)
To this new genus I have given the name of my friend Captain King, who, during his important surveys of the Coasts of New Holland, formed valuable collections in several departments of Natural History, and on all occasions gave every a.s.sistance in his power to Mr. Cunningham, the indefatigable botanist who accompanied him. The name is also intended as a mark of respect to the memory of the late Captain Philip Gidley King, who, as Governor of New South Wales, materially forwarded the objects of Captain Flinders' voyage; and to whose friends.h.i.+p Mr. Ferdinand Bauer and myself were indebted for important a.s.sistance in our pursuits while we remained in that colony.
KINGIA.
ORD. NAT. Junceae prope Dasypogon, Calectasiam et Xerotem.
CHAR. GEN. Perianthium s.e.xpart.i.tum, regulare, glumaceum, persistens.
Stamina s.e.x, fera hypogyna: Antheris basi affixis. Ovarium triloculare, loculis monospermis; ovulis adscendentibus. Stylus 1. Stigma tridentatum.
Pericarpium exsucc.u.m, indehiscens, monospermum, perianthio scarioso cinctum.
Planta facie Xanthorrhoeae elatioris. Caudex arh.o.r.escens cicatricibus basibusve foliorum exasperatus? Folia caudicem terminantia confertissima longissima, figura et dispositione Xanthorrhoeae. Pedunculi numerosi foliis breviores, bracteis v.a.g.i.n.antibus imbricatis tecti, floriferi terminales erecti, mox, caudice parum elongato foliisque novellis productis, laterales, et divaricati vel deflexi, terminati capitulo denso globoso floribus tribracteatis.
Kingia australis. Table C.
DESC. Caudex arborescens erectus simplicissimus cylindraceus, 6-18-pedes altus, cra.s.sitie femoris. Folia caudicem terminantia numerosissima patula, apicibus arcuato-recurvis, lorea, solida, ancipitia apice teretiusculo, novella undique tecta pilis adpressis strictis acutis laevibus, angulis lateralibus et ventrali retrorsum scabris. Pedunculi numerosi teretes 8-12-pollicares cra.s.sitie digiti, vaginis integris brevibus imbricatis hinc in foliolum subulatum productis tecti. Capitulum globosum, floridum magnitudine pruni minoris, fructiferum pomum parvum aequans. Flores undique dense imbricati, tribracteati, sessiles. Bractea exterior lanceolata breve ac.u.minata planiuscula erecta, extus villosa intus glabra, post lapsum fructus persistens: duae laterales angusto-naviculares, acutissimae, carina lateribusque villosis, longitudine fere exterioris, simul c.u.m perianthio fructifero, separatim tamen, dilabentibus. Perianthium s.e.xpart.i.tum regulare subaequale glumaceum: foliola lanceolata acutissima disco nervoso nervis immersis simplicissimis, antica et postica plana, lateralia complicata lateribus inaequalibus, omnia basi subangustata, extus longitudinaliter sed extra medium praecipue villosa, intus glaberrima, aestivatione imbricata.
Stamina s.e.x subaequalia, aestivatione stricta filamentis sensim elongantibus: Filamenta fere hypogyna ipsis basibus foliolorum perianthii quibus opposita leviter adhaerentia, filiformia glabra teretia: Antherae stantes, ante dehiscentiam lineares obtusae filamento paulo latiores, defloratae subulatae vix cra.s.sitie filamenti, loculis parallelo-contiguis connectivo dorsali angusto adnatis, axi ventrali longitudinaliter dehiscentibus, lobulis baseos brevibus acutis subadnatis: Pollen simplex breve ovale laeve. Pistillum: Ovarium sessile disco nullo squamulisve cinctum, lanceolatum trigono-anceps villosum, triloculare, loculis monospermis. Ovula erecta fundo anguli interioris loculi paulo supra basin suam inserta, obovata lenticulari-compressa, aptera: Testa in ipsa basi acutiuscula foramine minuto perforata: Membrana interna respectu testae inversa, hujusce nempe apici lata basi inserta, ovata apice angustato aperto foramen testae obturante: Nucleus cavitate membranae conformis, ejusdem basi insertus, caeterum liber, pulposus solidus, apice acutiusculo laevi aperturam membranae internae attingente. Stylus trigonus strictus, infra villosus, dimidio superiore glabro, alt.i.tudine staminum, iisdem paulo praecocior, exsertus nempe dum illa adhuc inclusa.
Stigmata tria brevissima acuta denticuliformia. Pericarpium exsucc.u.m, indehiscens, villosum, basi styli aristatum, perianthio scarioso et filamentis emarcidis cinctum, abortione monospermum. s.e.m.e.n turgidum obovatum retusum, integumento (testa) simplici membranaceo aqueo-pallido, bine (intus) fere a basi acutiuscula, raphe fusca verticem retusum attingente ibique in chalazam parvam concolorem ampliata. Alb.u.men semini conforme dense carnosum alb.u.m. Embryo monocotyledoneus, aqueo-pallidus subglobosus, extremitate inferiore (radiculari) acuta, in ipsa basi seminis situs, semi-immersus, nec alb.u.mine omnino inclusus.
Table C. figure 1. Kingiae australis pedunculus capitulo florido terminatus; figure 2, capitulum fructiferum; 3, sectio transversalis pedunculi: 4, folium: hae magnitudine naturali, sequentes omnes plus minus auctae sunt; 5, flos; 6, stamen; 7, anthera antice et, 8, eadem postice visa; 9, pistillum; 10, ovarii sectio transversalis; 11, ejusdem portio longitudinaliter secta exhibens ovulum adscendens cavitatem loculi replens; 12, ovulum ita longitudinaliter sectum ut membrana interna solummodo ejusque insertio in apice cavitatis testae visa sit; 13, ovuli sectio longitudinalis profundius ducta exhibens membranam internam et nucleum ex ejusdem basi ortum; 14, bracteae capituli fructiferi; 15, pericarpium perianthio filamentisque persistentibus cinctum; 16, pericarpium perianthio avulso filamentorum basibus relictis; 17, s.e.m.e.n.
OBS. 1.
It remains to be ascertained, whether in this genus a resin is secreted by the bases of the lower leaves, as in Xanthorrhoea; and whether, which is probable, it agrees also in the internal structure of its stem with that genus. In Xanthorrhoea the direction of fibres or vessels of the caudex seems at first sight to resemble in some degree the dicotyledonous arrangement, but in reality much more nearly approaches to that of Dracaena draco, allowance being made for the greater number, and extreme narrowness of leaves, to which all the radiating vessels belong.*
(*Footnote. My knowledge of this remarkable structure of Xanthorrhoea is chiefly derived from specimens of the caudex of one of the larger species of the genus, brought from Port Jackson, and deposited in the collection at the Jardin du Roi of Paris by M. Gaudichaud, the very intelligent botanist who was attached to Captain De Freycinet's voyage.)
OBS. 2.
I have placed Kingia in the natural order Junceae along with Dasypogon, Calectasia and Xerotes, genera peculiar to New Holland, and of which the two former have hitherto been observed only, along with it, on the sh.o.r.es of King George's Sound.
The striking resemblance of Kingia, in caudex and leaves, to Xanthorrhoea, cannot fail to suggest its affinity to that genus also.
Although this affinity is not confirmed by a minute comparison of the parts of fructification, a sufficient agreement is still manifest to strengthen the doubts formerly expressed of the importance of those characters, by which I attempted to define certain families of the great cla.s.s Liliaceae.
In addition, however, to the difference in texture of the outer coat of the seed, and in those other points, on which I then chiefly depended in distinguis.h.i.+ng Junceae from Asphodeleae, a more important character in Junceae exists in the position of the embryo, whose radicle points always to the base of the seed, the external umbilicus being placed in the axis of the inner or ventral surface, either immediately above the base as in Kingia, or towards the middle, as in Xerotes.
OBS. 3.
ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIMPREGNATED OVULUM IN PHAENOGAMOUS PLANTS.
The description which I have given of the Ovulum of Kingia, though essentially different from the accounts. .h.i.therto published of that organ before fecundation, in reality agrees with its ordinary structure in Phaenogamous plants.
I shall endeavour to establish these two points; namely, the agreement of this description with the usual structure of the Ovulum, and its essential difference from the accounts of other observers, as briefly as possible at present; in tending hereafter to treat the subject at greater length, and also with other views.
I have formerly more than once* adverted to the structure of the Ovulum, chiefly as to the indications it affords, even before fecundation, of the place and direction of the future Embryo. These remarks, however, which were certainly very brief, seem entirely to have escaped the notice of those authors who have since written on the same subject.
(*Footnote. Flinders Voyage 2 page 601, and Linnean Society Transactions 12 page page 136.)