H ab. Northern Island. Summits of the Ruahine mountains,
I cannot distmguish these specimens from Anckland Island ones, nor from the P. caniosa, Br., of Tasmania,
though that plant has nsnally, but not constantly, but two seeds in each cell. It varies very much in habit, size,
aud hairiness. BooU very stout. Leaves nnmerous, fleshy, spreading, lanceolate, entire or lobed or toothed, lA-2
inches long, glabrous, or villous at the,base. Scapes stout, short, hairy, two- to four-flowered. Bracts short, blunt.
Sepals broadly ovate, blunt.—Various European species of Plantago grow both on mountain-tops and on the seashore,
as seems to be the case with this plant.
§ I). Flowers in
3. Plantago spathulata, Hook, fil.; sparse villosa v. glabrata, foliis carnosis confertis steUatim patentibus
obovato-lanceolatis spathulatisve obtusis integerrimis 3-nerviis in petiolum latum angustatis basi
viUosis, scapis liirsutis, spicis breviusculis densifioris, floribus omnibus confertis infimisve dissitis, sepalis
pilosis obtusis, capsulas loculis 2-spermis.
H ab. Northern Island. East coast on rocks and in sand,
A rather large species, but variable in size, and in amoimt of viUous hairs on all parts, sometimes nearly
glabrous. Leaves numerous, spreading, 1-5 inches long, obloug-lanceolate, spathulate, blunt, quite entire, three-
nerved. numerous, hirsute. many-flowered, 4- I 4 inch long. Sepals two-ceUed ;
cells two-seeded.
4. Plantago Baoulii, Dene.; glabrata, pilosa, pubescens v. subhirsuta, foliis elongato-lanceolatis 1 - 5-
nerriis integris dentatis lobulatisve basi lanatis, scapis elongatis pilosis, spicis brevibus oblongo-cylin-
draceis parvifloris multifloris, bracteis late marginatis dorso glabratis, sepalis late ovatis obtusis orbiculatisve
glabris, corollæ lobis parvis, capsulæ loculis 2-spermis. Bene, in BC. Frock. P. varia, A. Cunn. Frodr.
H ab. Northern and Middle Islands. Abundant from the Bay of Islands, Cunningham ; to Otago,
Lyall.
An extremely variable plant in foUage, but very constant in the flowers. Root stout or fibrous. Leaves
I-IO inches long, pubescent, pilose, or nearly glabrous, viUous at the base, linear-lanceolate or elliptical-lanceolate,
entire, lobed, or toothed, rigid or flaccid, often nan-owed into long hairy petioles. Scapes numerous, longer than
the leaves, haiiy. Spikes 4-1 inch long, more slender and smaUer-flowered than in the last species. Sepals broadly
ovate or orbicular. Capmle two-ceUed ; ceUs two-seeded.—Yery nearly aUied to the Australian F. varia, but the
flowers are smaUer, spike shorter, and bracts glabrous ; stiU nearer F. Tasmanica, but the bracts bave in that very
narrow margins, which are broad in this.
Obs. The P. Aucklandica of Auckland Island {Fl. Antarct. p. 64. t. 42) has not been gathered in New Zealand.
N a t . O rd . LXVIII. NYCTAGINEiE, Juss.
Gen. I. PISONIA, L.
Flores hermaphroditi, v. abortu dioici. FeriantUi limbus plicatus, 5-lobus, persistens. Stamina
6-10. tubo angulato aucto clavato perianthii inclusus. AkXryo erectus. Br. Frodr.
A small genus, chiefly of littoral tropical shrubs or trees, with viscid cymes of fruit, sometimes armed with
hooked spines, in which small birds get entangled. F. Sinclairii, the only New Zealand species, gi-ows also in Norfolk
Island and in the Port Jackson colony (Five-finger Bay), and forms a small tree, 12-15 feet high, with opposite
or ternate, very large leaves, and paniculate cymes of lurid gi-eenish flowers. Stems and branches glabrous.
s petiolate, broadly oblong, 4 inches to a foot long, quite entire, blunt, glabrous, deep green, flaccid when dry.
Cymes compound, pubescent, 2-4 inches broad, many-flowered. Flowers pediceUate. Perianth tubular or funnel-
shaped, pubescent, with a bluntly five-lobed mouth. Stamens seven; filaments unequal in height, united into a
tube surrounding tiie base of the ovary. Ovary elongated, membranous, one-ceUed, with one erect ovule, a long
slightly curved style, and discoid heart-shaped stigma. Utriculus surrounded with the hardened, lengthened, ribbed
perianth, 14 inch long; ribs viscid, not spinous. Emhyo linear, with longitudinally-folded, crumpled cotyledons,
enclosing a Uttle albumen and a short terete radicle. (Name from William Fison, a Dutch botanist and Brazilian
traveUer.)
1. Pisonia Hook. fil.; arborea, foliis amplis elliptico-oblongis obtusis glaberrimis, cymis
compositis puberulis, floribus 7-audris, periautliiis fructiferis costatis viscidis costis inermibus. P. grandis,
A. Cunn. Herb. Norf. Isl. et Austral. Non Br. T ab. L.
H a b . Northern Island. Wangarei HaiRour, Sinclair. East coast, Colenso. Nat. name, “ Para-
para," Col.
P late L. Fig. 1, flower; 2, perianth laid open; 3, ovarium; 4, ripe fruit enclosed in the perianth; 5, utri-
eulus, ripe, removed from ditto; 6, transverse section of perianth and ripe utriculus ; 7, embryo ; 8, part of the
same laid open, showing the crumpled cotyledons and radicle:—all hut fig. 4 5
N a t . O r d . LXIX. POLYGONE^, Juss.
Gen. I. POLYGONUM, L.
Perianthium petaloideum, 4-5-lobum v. -partitum. Stamina 4 -9 . Stylus 2-3-partitus; stigmata
capitata. Nux perianthio quandoque baccato tecta. Embryo unilateralis.
Herbs or shrubs, erect or chmbing, found in every quarter of the globe and in most latitudes; with alternate
leaves, whose petioles have stipules tbat form membranous tubular sheaths around the stem above them. Flowers
generaUy racemose, sometimes spiked, or soUtary and axUlary. Perianth petaloid, four- to five-lobed or -parted.
Stamens four to nine. Styles two to three, or two- to three-parted, each arm bearing a capitate stigma. Nut
angled or compressed, with one erect seed, enclosed in the withered, dry, or fleshy perianth. Albumen mealy.
Fmh'yo placed at one side of the albumen.—The species of this genus are very difficult of detemunation, being extremely
variable in size, habit, foUage, and inflorescence. The fleshy calyx of the Muhlenheckia section is sometimes
white, transparent, and very large and juicy; at others in the same plant merely thickened and opake. (Name
from TToXuf, many, and yow, a joint; in aUusion to the jointed stems.)
§ a. Persicaria. Flowers hermaphrodite, spiked. Style bifd. Nut lenticular, included in h
perianth.
1. Polygonum prostratum, E t.; herbaceum, glabrum v. pilosum, caule prostrato, foliis lanceolatis
margine scaberulis, ochreis cüiatis, spicis axillaribus terminalibusque gracilibus longe pedunculatis laxifloris,
floribus glabris. Br. Prodr. A. Cunn. Frodr., etc.
H ab. Northern and Middle Islands; not uncommon, especially in grassy and cultivated places. Nat.
name, “ Tutu-nawai,” Col.
Smooth or pilose, herbaceous. Stems prostrate, elongated, sparingly branched, a foot long. Leaves scattered,
linear-lanceolate, acummate, 2-8 inches long, scabrid at the margin, membranous; ochreie elongated, brown, with
long cilia at the mouth. Spikes on long peduncles, axillaiy or terminal, slender, 1-2 inches long. Flowers smaU,
not crowded. Bracts truncate, cUiate or smooth at the mouth.—Abundant in the southern parts of Australia, and
in Tasmania.