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XXVII. ASPHODELEÆ, Juss.
1. C H R Y S O B A C T R O N , Hook.Jil.
Dioicum. Flores racemosi. M asc. Perianihium corollinum, hexaphyllum ; folíola patentia, æqualia, ovato-
oblonga, obtusa, medio incrassata. Stamina 6. hypogyna; filamenta elongato-subulata, perianthio breviora,
nuda; íiafAe™ versatiles. Ovarium ovatum, acuminatum, trisulcatum, vacuum, F los. foem. Perianthium at
m fl. masc., s e i foliolis post anthesin erectis, demum deciduis. Stamina 6, antheris incompletis. Ovarium late
ovatum, profunde trisulcatum. triloculare, lobis dorso canaliculatis, loculis bi- rarius uniovulatis. Ovula, ubi 2,
collateralia, funiculis brevibus infra apicem loculi ángulo interiori suspensa. Stylus validus, erectus, teres.
Stigma capitatum, parvum, obscure 3-6-lobum. Capsula ovata, trilocularis, loculicide trivalvis ; vatvoe coriaceo-
submembranaceæ, intus medio septifcræ. Semina loculis plerumque bina, collateralia, triquetra ; testa atra, sub-
crustacea ; albumen corneum ; embryo axilis, paulo curvatus. albumine parum brevior ; radícula incrassata.—
Herba speciosa, elata,perennis, Aucklandica. et in insula Campbell protirairas. Radix elongata, tuberibus elongatis
fasciculatis donata. Folia late ensiformia, basi vaginantia. Scapi solitarii v. plurimi, pedales et ultra. Flores
racemosi, aurantiaci.
1. C h r y s o b a c t h o .n Ro ssii, H o o k . fil. (T a b . X L IV . & X LV .)
Radix, rhizoma horizontale seu perpendiculare, crassum, camosum, 1-2 unc. longum, pollicis humanæ et
ultra diametr., transverse rugosum, hic illic constrictum, atrum, tubera elongata, fasciculata undique emittens.
Tubera cylindrica, 2-3 uncialia, camosa, atro-fusca, crassitie pennæ anserinæ, fibris crassis intermixta. Collum
validum, brevissimum, simplex v. rarius bi- triceps, tuberibus minoribus, horizontaliter patentibus circumdatum.
Caulis nuUus. Folia plurima, circiter 12-16, omnia radicalia, erecto-patentia, inferiora horizontalia v. recurva,
elongata, interdum bipedalia, lato-ensiformia, 2 -4 unc. lata, integerrima. obtusa v. subacuta, superne præcipue
concava, plurinervia, nervis approximatis et venis transversis inconspicuis reticulata, læte viridia, nitida, subtus
pallidiora, crassa, herbácea, basi longe vaginantia ; vaginis 3 ^ unc. longis, integris, striatis ; ore obliquo sub-
membranaceo ; sinu obtuso. Scapi solitarii vel non raro plurimi, 6-8, erecti, validi, pedales, 4 - | unc, diametr.,
striati, ad apices canaliculati, intus spongiosi, fructiferi et anni præteriti emarcidi, fistulosi, dealbati. Racemi
conspicui, erecti, 4-7 uno. longi. 11-2 uno. diametr. ; masculi breviores, subconico-ovati, pedicellis nempe florum
inferiorum elongatis, horizontales, apice attenuati, subacuti ; foeminei elongati, cylindracei, obtusi, paulo angustiores
; rachis infra pedicellos sulcata, sæpe medio turgida, vacua, vel per totam longitudinem fistulosa. Flores
numerosissimi, conferti, pedicellati, odore suavi. Pedicelli graciles, J -1 une. longi, m floribus foemineis suberecti,
fructiferi subincrassati, erecti, basi bracteolati. Bracteolæ lineari-elongatæ, obtusæ v. subacutæ, pedicellis nunc
longiores, sed sæpius abbreviate, foliaceæ, floribus concolores. Perianthium corollinum, hexaphyllum, aureum,
3 -4 lin. diametr. ; foliola lineari-oblonga, v. oblongo-ovata, supra medium paulo contracta, costa paulo incrassata
e nervis 3 approximatis, valde inconspicuis formata, 3 interiora vix ac ne vix minora, floribus masculis
patentia, ad apices subincurva,/iOTmeis erecto-patentia, post anthesin erecta, capsulæ immaturæ appressa, dein
decidua. Stamina 6, foliolis perianthii opposita, iis breviora, hypogyna, crecto-patentia ; filamenta valida, elongato
subulata, teretia, glaberrima ; antheræ versatiles, oblongæ ; loculis parallelis, contiguis, rimis longitudinalibus
dehiscentibus ; in floribus foemineis imperfectis, vacuis. Pollen flavum, ovoideum, longitudinaliter bi- vel
trisulcatum. Ovarium, fl. masc., elongato-ovatum, trisulcatum, apice aeutum v. trifidum, una cum perianthio
marcescens et deciduum ; fl.foem . late ovatum, turgidum, 2 lin. longum, obscure trigonnm, angulis obtusis, 3-sulcatum,
8-loculare ; loculi 2- rarius 1-ovulati; ovula collateralia, ex ángulo interno infra apicem loculi orta, funiculis
brevibus suspensa. Stylus terminalis, erectus, validus, teres, longitudine ovarium æquans, stigmate parvo, subcapitato,
obscure 3-6-lobato terminatus. Capsulæ late ovatæ, 3-4 lin. longæ, submembranaceæ, 3-locuIares,’locu-
lioido trivalves ; toIuìe elliptecæ, dorso canaliculatæ ; dissepimenta membranacea. Semina elliptico-ovata, triquetra.
dorso oonv ex a ; dum solitaria latiora, intus carinata. Testa utrinque in alam producta; membrana exterior
laxa, membranacea, atro-fusca; interna Crustacea, aterrima, nitida, sub lente impresso-punctata. Albumen carnosum,
pallide viride. Embryo axilis. filiformis, teres, paulo arcuatus, carnosus, viridis, albumine parum brevior;
extremitate radiculari incrassata, obtusa :—Mons<™, racemis bifidis, seu scapis divisis. dicephalis, non raro
occurrunt.
I am unable to refer this to any described genus of Aspliodelem, and have adopted the name* in allusion to
the magnificent racemes of golden-yellow flowers which it bears. It will rank near Anthericum, L., from which
it differs in having only one or at most two ovules and in the erect style. I t is also very nearly allied to Bul-
hinella, Kunth (En. Plant, vol. iv. p. 569), especially in general appearance; but in that genus the perianth is
persistent, a character probably of more importance than the number of ovules or bearded filaments, which have
hitherto been considered sufficient to distinguish genera too nearly allied in other respects.
Perhaps no group of islands on the surface of the globe, of the same limited extent and so perfectly isolated,
can boast of three such beautiful plants, peculiar to their flora, as the Pleurophyllum speciosum (Plate XXII. &
XXIII.), Celmisia vernicosa (Plate XXVI. & XXVII.), and the subject of the foregoing description. The last,
from its greater abundance and conspicuous colour, is certainly the most striking of the three, not only giving
a feature to the landscape wherever it grows, but in Campbell’s Island covering the swampy sides of the hills
in such profusion as to be distinctly visible at the distance of a full mile from shore. The specific name I have
given in compliment to Sir James Ross, who, during our two days’ stay in this island, brought to me,
amongst many other new plants, one most luxuriant specimen of this, having three crowns of leaves from one
root and no less than seven racemes of flowers, some of which were bifid; it was between three and four feet
h ig h ; I much regretted the impossibility of preserving it whole, and the necessity there was of cutting it up
into many fragments. The difficulty of preserving specimens at all, in latitudes so constantly wet and stormy, is
very g r e a t; especially on board ship, where, from the vicissitudes of the climate, they can rarely be exposed to
the air on deck : the operation is rendered doubly tedious, when, as in the islands under consideration, the vegetation
is of a very succulent and coriaceous consistence. Most of my specimens required to be changed daily, and
the papers to be dried over a long smoke funnel which traversed Captain Ross’s cabin, the limited accommodation
of our ships affording no other place available for this purpose. But for this privilege, constantly allowed me
during the voyage, and which to any one less devoted than that officer to the objects of the expedition must
have proved an insupportable annoyance, my collections would have been small indeed. The present plant
was collected on the 15th of December 1840, but not fully dried when we had reached the 78th degree of latitude
in February 1841.
It is very natural that the great size and luxuriance of this and several other plants of the high southern
latitudes should excite suiqirise. Arguing from those countries in the northern hemisphere wdiich are upon the
limits of terrestrial vegetation and which have a similarly rigorous climate, the vegetation of the former might be
expected to consist of small and densely tufted plants. This is however not the case, and I have endeavoured to
account for the apparent anomaly from the fact that the higher southern regions enjoy a singularly equable, though
to the human constitution always inclement climate. It is further to be remarked, that the Flora, even under these
circumstances of a peculiar luxuriance in individuals, is composed of very few species ; and again, th a t in the
South, hardly any state of vegetation is met with between that of considerable abundance and almost complete
sterility, and on ascending the mountains few or no new forms occur : the great mass of the alpine plants (even
on the limits of perpetual snow') being those which inhabit the open lands at the level of the ocean. The botany
of the densely w'ooded regions of the southern islands of the New Zealand group and of Fuegia is much more
meagre, not only than that of similarly clothed regions in Europe, but of islands many degrees nearer the North.
' . r t l
Derived from xpvaus, gold, and (oúcrpoy, a staff.
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