■n
2. GaiMjUi d i a Hook, fil.; cæspitosa, ramosa, ramis brertbus fastigiatis compressis, foliis sub-,
(bsticliis equitantibiis lauceolato-ensiformibus acuminatis compressis fistulosis basi ad medium vaginantibus,
pedunculis brevissimis flores foemiueos 1 -3 stamenque umcum gerentibus, fructiferis folio brc\doribus, ovario
1-3-loculari, stylis 1 -3 .
H a b . Campbell’s Is lan d ; forming small pale-colonred tufts amongst otber plants iu springy places on
the liills.
Radices fibrosæ; fib'oe simplices, tenues, horizontaliter patentes, spongiosæ, albidæ, sæpe e basibus foliorum v.
ramorum ortæ. Caules fastigiatim ramosi, 1-1-j mic. longi, cæspites densos, convexos, 2-3 une. latos formantes,
copiose foliosi; rami una cum foliis patentibus compressi, iu n c . lati et ejusdem longitudinis. Folia arete imbricata,
iu ramis lütimis plurima, subtiistichc inserta, flabellatim disposita, basi equitantia, deinde erecto-patentia, stricta,
lanceolato-ensiformia, acuminata, rix aristata, sub 3 lin. longa, lateraliter compressa, supra obsciu-e concava, basi ad
medium et ultra vaginantia, intus fistulosa v. junioribus laxe cellulosa, glaberrima, albida, ad apices munatiuaqne
pallide liiidia, textura mollia ; vaghiæ apertoe, membranaceæ, subhyalinæ, obscure reticulatæ, superne gi'adatim in
folium evanidæ. Flores valde immaturi tantum mihi risi, inter folia smnma omnino occlusi. Fedunculus hrerissimus
terminalis, fructifenis post anthesin elongatus, anni præteriti ramo lateralis, compressus, anceps, foliis brevior. Glumes
duæ, flore breriores, tenuissime hyahuæ, obhque truncatæ ? an a dissectione laceræ ? Stamen solitmiiun ; filamen-
lum crassum, erectum, teres ; anthera majuscula, ovoidea, imiloculaiis, rima longitudinali dchisccns, medio dorso
aflixa. Ovaria 2-3 v. rarius plura, distincta v. inter se plus minusve coalita, sessilia? collateralia, 1-3-locuIaria, stylos
tot quot loculos gerentia ; nunc ovarium solitarimn colimmifonne aborti\iim.
The early season in which we risited Campbell’s Island was a subject of much regret, as some of the most
interesting, especially of the alpine plants, were detected only in a state unfit for satisfactory examination. It is
with much hesitation that I have referred the present to Gaimardia, in preference to erecting it into a new genus from
such imperfect specimens, though I have little doubt but that it udH prove to be a new form of that interesting gi'oiip
to which Hr. Brown’s genera Desvauxia (Centrolejns, Lab.) and Alepyrum belong, but which have, with the exception
of Gaimardia, been liitherto considered as confined to Austraha. "With Desvauxia it has much similaiity in
texture, in the soft leaves, giæen only towards the extremities, and fistidose, in the simple spongy fibrous roots and
glistening appearance of the lower parts of the stem ; there is also a marked tendency in this plant to a miion of the
caiqiels into one pistil, with as many styles as there are ovaries. In the tufted habit, alpine and antarctic locality,
short peduncle and apparent want of spatha, it agiæes with Gaimardia, hut ditfers from that genus in the solitaiy
stamen, greater number of ovaria which are probably sessile, the latter, however, I am not inclined to consider as a
character of much value, as in his description of that genus M. Gaudichaud says, “ Ovariimi unicum, interdum ovaria
duo, altero effoeto,” and, fm-ther, I have gathered capsules of that species which are truly one-celled and deldsce down
one side only. In the present plant the ovaria vary from one to three, and are either one, two, or tlu'ce-celled, fre-
(pieiitly there are three together, with as many variations in dmælopement, and not rarely one is reduced to a simple
column ; at other times all ai-e combined into a single axis. In the imperfect state of these minute organs, in tlie
only specimens I possess, I have found it impossible to decide whether or not two of the upper leaves are analogous
to the glumes or spathæ of Desvauxia, or whether the two hyaline scales sun-ounding both stamen and ovaria are
the only floral envelopes.
M. Gaudichaud’s genus appears to me certainly most nearly allied to the order Centrolepideæ or Desvauxieoe, and
from their near affinity to EHocaiilon iu all respects but the want of as many floral envelopes, of which several modifications
occin- in the former group, I have considered them tme species of Ilestiacees with a reduced number of
parts. G. australis is described as having tbe stamens opposite the glumes ; I have oidy examined that plant in the
state of ripe fruit, wherein it appears to me that the remains of the filament alternate ivith the glumes and carpels.
XXX. CYPERACEÆ, BeC.
1. OEEOBOLUS, B r .
1. OiiEOBOLTJSpectinatns, Hook, fil.; culmis dense cæspitosis ramosis foliosis, foliis distichis equitaii-
tibus lineari-subulatis apicibus obtusis rigidis basi vaginantibus, scapo brevissimo terminali imifloro posi
anthesin elongato, periantldi foliolis ciliatis interioribus utrinque umdentatis. (T.ib. X L IX .)
H a b . Lord Auckland’s group and Campbell’s Is lan d ; on th e bare and exposed faces of tb e liills,
forming dense convex masses.
Ffli/io; fibrosa ; / ¿ 7-Æ elongatæ, 2-3 une. longæ, validæ, crassitie pennæ passerinæ, teretes, liic illic tortuosæ,
suberosæ v. spongiosæ, inferne fibiRlosæ. Caules densissime cæspitosi, duii, rigidi, ramosi, per totam longitudinem
foliosi, plerumque 2 unc. longi sed locis udioribus 4 -6 unciales, infenie præcipue radices fibrosas emittentes. Eolia
densissime imbricata, disticha, equitantia, basi vaginantia, flabellatim disposita, lineari-subulata, obtusa, unc.
longa, paiüo cm-vata v. ascendentia, supra canaliculata, subtus convexa, medio obscmæ 1-nervia, basin versus 5-7
nervia, rigide coriacea, crassiuscula, ad margines minute cartilagineo-semdata, loetc riridia, inferiora pallide fusca,
vetustiora suberosa, giisea ; vaginæ laminæ i longitudine, ima basi integræ, sinu obtuso, superne Iiiantes, coriaceæ,
ad margines subscariosoe, nervis prominentibus 7-9 costatæ, superne oblique truncatæ, pallide rufo-fuscæ. Pediin-
ck/î terminales ; fioriferi brevissimi, post anthesin elongati; fiiactiferi vahdi, |-unc. longi, infra medium turgidi,
superne sidcati, obscure angidati, ad apicem a lapsu glumarum cicatricosi. Glunus 2, subæquales, lineari-oblongæ,
subacutæ, 2 lin. longæ, coriaceæ, eneiwes, concavæ, albidæ, convolutæ, superior inferiorem amjilectens, deciduæ,
florem solitarium mcliidentes. Perianthium minimum, sexpartitum v. potius hexaphyllum ; foliola erecta, ovata,
acuta, planiuscula, ad margines ciliata, suhenerria, ad medium obscure incrassata, coriacea, subreticnlata, persistentia,
post anthesin subincrassata, pergamentacea; interiora minora, utrinque obtuse uni-dentata. Stamina 3, hypogyna,
foliolis perianthii exterioribus opposita ; f lamenta longissime linearia, medio iminerria, longe exserta ; antheræ lineares,
basifixæ, longitudinaliter dehiscentes; connectivo lütra loculos producto, apice obtuso ; pollen hyalinuni,
stramineum, tri-tctragonum, angulis obtusis, intus gi-amdis opacis tot quot angiihs. Ovarium minutum, triquetrum,
elongato-obovatmn, olitusum, unilociüai’e, unioiadatmn, superne heraisphericiim, hispidulum; ovulum erectum.
Stylus elongatus, exsertus, gracilis, teres, erectus, basi modice biüboso-incrassatus, cum ovario articulatus, decidims,
iu stigmata 3, æquilonga, filiformia, pilosa productus. Nux obovata, obtusa, perianthio persistente basi circumdata,
trigona, ad angidos longitudinaliter sulcata, quasi trivalris, valvis coalitis, extus nitida, intus crustácea, subossea;
vertex depressus sub lente gi-anidatus v. subhispidus. Semen erectum, locido conforme, pyiiforme, basi subito attenuatum
; funiculus brevissimus. Testa membranacea, palhde riridis ; chalaza apicahs, orbicidaris, fusca; rapite tenuis,
superne latior, dcorsmn evanida. Albumen copiosum, cai-uoso-farinaceum. Embryo parvus, late obconicus, obtusus,
parte supcriore solummodo vix et ne vix basi albumiuis immersa.
Tlie equitant leaves -will at once distinguish tliis veiy distinct species from either the Tasmanian O.pumiUo, Br.
or 0. obttisanyulus, Gaud., which are more nearly allied to one another than to the present iu appearance.
M. Gaudichaud describes fom- imbricating scales or glumes in the Falkland Island species ; but in tliis, as in the
Tasmanian, there are certainly only two. The six leaflets of the perianth arc most probably analogous to the liy-
pogynoiis setæ in Scirpus, and more especially to those organs in Pterolepis, in which gcnns they are flattened ;
from theii- great breadth in Oreoholus they are seen to belong to tw'o series, a character difiicult of detection if it
exists where those organs consist of simple slender setæ. The structure of the pericarp is somewhat singular, it is
obovate and distinctly trigonous in all the species, the angles are channelled and the three sides much tliickened, but
the thickening is not continued to the apex, where there is a shallow carity with a convex base ; in a longitudinal
section the thickened sides arc found to be coiiaceous, and have the appearance of tlnec valves united at thcfr margins
and to the inner crustaceous pericai'p, which they do not altogether enclose, but leave its convex apex free at the