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gamous flowers, the texture of the leaflets of the perianth and their being often united above the base, the subulate
and generally terete, not linear or compressed filaments, the short anthers and different nature of the pollen, which
is minutely granular and furrowed on one side, and the constantly nearly sessile and three-lobed stigma.
With Asphodelea, Astelia has many points in common : though, as stated above, the internal structure of
the seed is more manifestly that of Júncea, it is not opposed to the description of that organ in Asphodelea, and
the brittle black sbining testa is almost typical of that order. The stamens are the same, in some Astelia being
much elongated and bearing versatile anthers ; and the form of the poUen likewise, though I have always obi
served it to be granulated. The thickened and subiucurved apices of the leaflets of the perianth are analogous
to the cucuUate tips of these organs in Drimia and Albuca. The form of the perianth is variable in the New
Zealand species, nor Is its texture always peculiarly semi-glumaceous. as in one species the laciniæ, which are
linear, are also thin, membranous and white ; in another it expands at the base into a broad, flattened or cupshaped
disc with six equal lobes ; in a third the base is suhcampanulate, with erect linear laciniæ, subpeta-
loid in texture ; and in a fourth species it completely surrounds the ripe berries, which are very large. Nor is
the berry itself very constant in internal structure, as inDianella, Lam., amongst Asphodelea, it is baccate, and as
m Allium, L., it varies in the number of cells from one to three. In one of the above New Zealand species it
is, as far as I can judge from dried specimens, one-celled, with many seeds pendulous from the summit, attached
by short funiculi to wbat probably was a fleshy pendent column, but of which I see only the membranous re mains
; if any dissepiments e.xisted they must have been very imperfect. Another species has the berry constantly
three-celled, with several seeds pendulous from the upper inner angle of tbe cell ; and in a third the fruit
is membranous and subcapsular with three to six cells, each containing two or more pendulous seeds, which are
convex at the back and with the sides much compressed like those of many Asphodelea. To Melanthacea the genus
IS allied in habit, in the polygamous flowers, in the perianth sometimes (exactly simUar to th a t of Wurmhia, Thunb.)
forming a tube round tbe fruit, in the baccate fruit, and in the form and surface of the pollen, which in some Melanthacea
is minutely granular ; from this order however they essentiaUy differ, in the æstivation of the perianth not
being induplicate, in the anthers being at no period extrorse. in the single style, sessile, lobed stigma, and in the
crustaceous integument of the seed. Whilst aUuding to this order I may mention another plant whose affinity has
been considered dubious, the Campynema linearis, Lab. (Flor. Nov. Holl. vol. i. p. 93. t. 121). This I have
lately examined, and find it to be, as Mr. Brown rightly conjectured (Prodr. p. 290), truly Melanthaceous, with
the tube of the perianth united to the ovarium. The fruits I have only seen in an immature state ; but in them
the adhesion of the perianth to the capsule is evident, and in a forwarder state the line of separation would
doubüess be more clear. The plant is dioecious or probably polygamous, the anthers extrorse and caducous,
the filaments after their falling away becoming recnrved and projecting between the segments of the perianth i
the pollen is yellow and granulate. The immature seeds are very numerous, imbricated in two series in each
cell, and are attached to the middle of the dissepiments.
I have not ventured to subdivide the genus Astelia, as I doubt if characters of sufficient importance will be
found to render it necessary, especially until good specimens in all states of the New Zealand species shall have
been examined. The A . pumila, Br.. is the most abnormal species in habit and in the subcapsular fruit ; it is
allied to the Tasmanian A . alpina, Br. in the form of that organ and shape of the leaves, and. on the other hand,
to A . linearis in the short two-flowered scape. The A . alpina again, having a racemose inflorescence, con-’
nects these with the New Zealand species, in one of which the ovarium is one-ceUed. There arc probably two
species iu the Sandwich group, one of which has two seeds in each of the ceUs of the berry and the seed-coat is
very thick and osseous.
The A . linearis is the most inconspicuous of any of the species, owing to the grassy appearance of the
leaves and its small size. Both the A . pumila and A. alpina are very striking plants ; the former constituting
singular hard flat green beds on the bogs, often several yards across ; while the latter, with its beautifully
silky and copious foUage, is a great ornament to the top of Mount Wellington and other mountains of Tasmania.
Some of the New Zealand species are wonderful features in the forest scenery of those islands; they form huge
tufted masses, often as large as the human body, perched on the naked limbs of the most lofty p in e s; elevated
as they are 80-100 feet above the ground, they remind the beholder of the nest of some gigantic bird.
XXVIII. JUNCEÆ , DeC.
JU N C U S , L .
1. J u n c u s a ntarcticus, H o o k . fil. ; p um ilu s , cæ sp ito su s, culmo te re te su p e rn e n u d o foliis su b -
æquilongo, foliis rad icalib u s e b a si v ag in an te lin e a rib u s sem ite re tib u s v e rsu s apices o b tu so s cy lin -
d race is, floribus 2 -4 cap ita tis h ex a n d ris , p e ria n th ii foliolis su b u lato -lan ceo latis ex te rio rib u s concavis
d orso a cu tis, stylo n u llo , cap su la p e rian th ii lo n g itu d in e trilo cu la ri. (T a b . X LV I.)
H a b . C am p b ell’s I s la n d ; on th e exposed sum m its o f th e m o u n ta in s : a lt. 100 0 fe e t, ra re .
Planta perpusillæ, vix unciam longæ, inter muscos cæspites densos formantes. Radix fibrosa ; fibris elongatis,
tortuosis. Culmi erecti, H
vaginati, foliosi. Folia plurima, radicalia. numerosa, sub i unc. longa, basi vaginantia, suberecta vel paulo curvata,
e basi latiore lineari-subulata v. linearia. semiteretia v. superne obscure canaliculata, versus apices cylindracea,
obtusa ; basi vaginante elongato-ovata. medio coriacea, striata, marginibus subscariosis. Scapi solitarii,
rarius bini, stricti. erecti, subvalidi, foliis breviores, post anthesin elongati. Flores plerumque 3, capitati, basi
bibracteolati, unico non raro incompleto, altero breviter pedicellato. Bracteola ovatæ, acuminatæ, longitudine
variæ, flores plerumque superantes. unica interdum subelongata, folium simulante. Perianthium l i lin. longum,
castaileum. nitidum ; foliola subæqualia; exterioraiauceolato-subulata, coriacea, concava, dorso acuta, vix cari-
n ata; interiora planiuscula, sublatiora, medio coriacea. marginibus anguste membranaceis. Stamina ñ-, fila-
menta latiuscula. plana, uninèrvia ; anthera oblongæ, subrecurvæ, apice brevissime ungulculatæ. Ovarium parvum,
obovatum, turgidum. triloculare, in stylum non attenuatum ; valvis dorso carinatis. Stigmata 3, sesslUa, inclusa,
lineari-subulata, post anthesin torta. Ovula plurima, ángulo interno loculi biserialia. Capsula perianthio
inclusa, castanea, ovata v. ovato-oblonga, subacuta, 3-locularis, 3-valvis ; valva convexæ, medio dorso canaliculatæ,
intus septiferæ ; dissepimentis in axi capsulæ primo inter se cohærentibus, denique solutis. Semina plurima,
quovis loculo 1 5 -2 0 , funiculis brevibus margini septorum adnexa, ovato- v. elliptico-oblonga. obtusa, flavo-
brunnea; funiculi incrassati, reliquiis filamentosis membranæ externæ seminis ciroumdati : testa membranacea,
pallide flavo-lirunnea, obsolete striata v. reticulata.
This curious little species is allied to none with which I am acquainted ; in size and general appearance it
somewhat resembles the Luzula arcuata, Hook., of the Scottish Alps. The form of the leaves is th a t of Juncus
cttstaneus, Sm.. hut they are in this plant solid internally and of quite a different structure. The capitate flowers
and naked scapes are common to this, with the J . biglumis, L., J . iriglumis, L,, and with the following.
P la t e XLVI. Fig. 1, leaf; fig. 2. section of central part of do.; fig. 3, upper part o f do. ; fig. 4, capitulum ;
;iy. 5, flower; fig. 6, outer leaflet of perianth ; fig. 7, inner leaflet of do.; fig. 8, stamen ; f i g .9, ovarium ; fig. 10,
capsule inclosed in perianth ; fig. 11. the same removed with the valves burst open ; fig.. 12, transverse section
of do. ; fig. 13, one valve of capsule ; fig. 14, seeds all magnified.
2. J u n c u s scheuclizerioides, G a u d .; culmo brevissimo compresso b asi fastig iatim ramoso, foliis
erec tis longissime lin eari-su b u latis compressis basi longe v ag in an tib u s in tu s articu la tis, scapo b re vissimo
foliis m u lto tie s breviore, floribus fi-8 c a p ita tis h ex an d ris b ra c te a e lo n g ata su b ten s is , p e ria n th
ii foliolis ovato-lanceolatis medio coriaceis omn ib u s p lan iu scu lis, stylo elongato, cap su la p erian th io