. ■ ü
§ b. ATlcnL.4Ki). Ilmoen hermaphrodite, axillary. StyU trifid. Nxd trigonous, surrounded by the withered
perianth.
2. Polygonum aviculare, L . ; herbaceum, basi suflruticulosum, caubbus prostratis flexuosis profunde
sulcatis, ramubs scaberubs, fobis parvis Hneari-lauceolatis, ocbi-eis breviusculis scariosis albidis ad basin fere
laeeris, floribus sobtarus breve pediceUatis 6-aiidris, nuce calyce cequilonga. Linn. Sp. PL, etc. Engl. Bot.
t. 1252. P. plebeiiun, A. Gunn. Rerh. An Br. Prodr. ?
H a b . Northern and Middle Islauds. Akaroa, Baoul. Aburiri, Colenso. (A native of England.)
A rigid, very sparingly braucbed species, found in many parts of the world, with prostrate, rather hard but
scarcely woody, deeply-grooved, flexuous stems, and smooth or minutely scaberulous branches, leaves scattered,
hnear-lanceolate. blunt or sharp, with recm-ved mai-gins, coriaceous, i - l inch long. Oelirem white, silvery, membranous,
spHt nearly to the base into ragged pieces. Mowers smab, solitary. Stamens eight.
3. Polygonum Bryandri, Spr.; herbaceum, caule rigido diffuse ramoso prostrato ramisque sulcatis
scaberubs, fqbis patubs bnearibus lineari-oblongisve obtusis coriaceis margiuibus recurvis, oclu-eis brevibus
scanosis albidis ad basin laeeris, floribus hermapbroditis axillaribus sobtariis 2- 3-nisve pedicellatis 6-andris,
stylo 8-fido, nuce trigona calyce inclusa v. exserta. Spr. Syst. Veg.
H a b . Northern Island. East coast, Colenso. Port Cooper, Lyall.
A smaUei- species than the last, abundant in India and other parts of the world; much branched from the base-
branches 6-10 inches long, less rigid, the upper ones slightly scaberulous. Leaves numerous, spreading, thick’
i mch long, linear-lanceolate or oblong, quite entire, glabrous. Oohrea: short, silvery, torn to the base rearioi,.’
white. F W * small, pediceflate. Stamens An. smooth, as long as the perianth, or protruded beyond it.
§ c. Muhiexbeckia. Flowers polygamous, solitary, spiked or panicUd. Stamens eight. Style trifid. Nut
trigonous. Perianth fleshy in fruit.
4. Polygonum (Mnlilenbeckia) austraU, A. Rich.; frutescens, caule elongate ramisque flexuosis
complexis profunde sulcatis, ramulis scaberubs, fobis ^ - 2-unciabbus petiolatis late cordatis obtusis apiculatis
acuminatisve junioribus 3-lobis glaberrimis, ochreis (ramubs junioribus) elongatis ore integris, spicis
paniculatis multifloris glaberrimis, bracteis obtusis 1-3-floris, floribus unisexualibus breve pedicellatis.
A. S ic k Flora. A. Cunn. Prodr. Coecoloba, Forst. Prodr. P. adpressum, Lab. Fl. Nov. Holt. p. 99.'
t. 127. Br. Frodr. A. Cunn. Frodr.
H a b . Throughout the Islands; common, especially on the coasts. Banks and Solander, etc. Nat.
name, “ Poka,” Col.
A large rambbng bush or small tree, common also in Norfolk Island and Tasmama, variable in foliage. Everywhere
quite smooth. BrancUs long, flexuose, matted together, deeply grooved; the branchlets obscurely scaberulous.
Leaves petiolate, cordate, blunt, apiculate or acuminate, quite smooth, i - 2 inches long; young- three-lobed.
Oohrem deciduous; those on the young branches long, membranous, truncate and entire at the mouth.° Spites paniculate,
quite smooth, axOlary and terminal. Bracts blunt.
5. Polygonum (Mublenbeckia) complexum, K. Cunn.; fruticosum, polymorphum, ramis ramubsciuc
implexis elongatis flexuosis sulcatis scabridis, fobis glaberrimis petiolatis late obovatis orbiculatis cordatisve
obtnsis V. apiculatis infra i-unciaUbus integerrimis punctatis impunctatisve junioribns 3-lobi.s, ochreis
integris, spicis brevissimis v. elongatis simpbcibus paniculatisve pubescentibus tomentosisve, bracteis ob-
tusis. A. Cunn. Frodr.
H a b . Througliout the Islands, abundant, Banks and Solander, etc. (Cultivated in England.)
One of the most variable plants-in New Zealand, of the same habit as P. amtrale, bnt much smaller in all its
parts, and with downy or tomentose spikes, which are seldom panicled. Stems and branches deeply grooved, scabrid
Leaves 3 lines to 4 inch long, petiolate, quite smooth, often dotted below, usually broadly obovate, cordate, or
rounded, rarely acute, sometimes almost as large as in P. australe. Spikes sometimes long and panicled, at others
reduced to axillary capitate masses of ilowers.—Mr. Bidwill sends an alpine state of this plant, from an elevation of
6000 feet on tbe mountains above Nelson, with short, stout, woody stem, and branches 4 inches long, small, fleshy,
dotted leaves, and terminal clusters of flowers,
6. Polygonum (Mublenbeckia) ephedroides, Hook. fil. ; a p h y l l u m v. sparse foliosum, fruticosum, diffuse
ramosum, ramis flexuosis iutertextis profunde sulcatis ultimis scaberulis, foliis petiolatis sessilibusve parvis
linearibus subhastatisve basi obtuse dilatatis subacutis, ochreis oblique truncatis brevibus, floribus spicatis
solitariis axillaribusque, spicis glaberrimis.
Ha b . Northern Island. East coast, near the sea, Ahuriri, etc., Colenso.
A very curious species, closely allied to P. complexum, but with glabrous spikes ; also near P. australe, but
the spikes are not racemose; whilst in the narrow small leaves it differs conspicuously from both.—Very variable
in habit, prostrate, 6 inches to several feet long, leafless, or with small scattered leaves 4-1 inch long;
small plants resemble P. aviculare, large ones have rigid, wiry, leafless stems, and look like rushes scattered on
the beach (according to Mr. Colenso). Usually the male flowers are in loose spikes, with one or two females
scattered on tbe same spikes ; when the latter predominate on a plant they are often solitary and axillary.
7. Polygonum Hook. fil. ; pusillum, cæspitosum, ramosissimum, ramulis striatis puberulis
gracilibus confertis, foliis parvis elliptico-oblongis obtusis petiolatis, ochreis oblique truncatis integris,
floribus solitariis axillaribus pedicellatis. Lond. Journ. Bot. v. 9. p . 278.
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands. Mountains near the east coast, Colenso. Port Cooper, Milford
Sound, aud Euapuke Island, Lyall.
A very small species, 1-2 inches high, quite glabrous, except the branchlets, and sometimes petioles, which
are pubernlous, with slender, tufted, very much braucbed stems, spreading on all sides from a small woody root.
Leaves petiolate, flat, elliptical-oblong, blunt, quite entire, glabrous, 1-1-2 lines long. Oehrece short, obbquely
truncate, entire. Flowers solitai*y, axillary, pedicellate.—Found also on the Tasmanian mountains, where the species
straggles a good deal.
Gen. II . EUMEX, L.
Ferianihkm 6-partitum, duplici serie. Stamina 6. Styli 3. Stigmata multifida. Nux 3-quetra,
perianthii laciniis interioribus auctis valviformibus tecta.
Besides the English Dock, which is said to have been fraudulently introduced by Europeans into New Zealand,
in barter, as Tobacco seed, there is a truly native species of Rumex in these islands, R.Jlexuosus, which forms an erect
or procumbent herbaceous branched plant, with grooved, zigzag, flexuous and angular stems, 1-2 feet long or high ;
everywhere quite smooth. Leaves petiolate; radical 4-8 inches long, linear, obliquely cuneate, truncate or obtusely
two-lobed at the base, mm-gins rather crisped or flat ; cauline smaUer, on shorter petioles. Flowers green, 1 line
long, in axillary whorls, drooping, on pedicels 2 lines long. Pei'ianth of six oblong acute pieces, in two rows, of
which the inner expand into triangular coriaceous veined valves Ig line long, enclosing a trigonous nut ; valves
with acuminate reemwed points, a keeled, sometimes spinous costa, and three to four long spines ou each margin.
Stamens six. Siijles three, with laciniate stigmata.—The other species of Rumex, which are very numerous, are
scattered over all parts of the world. (Name of unknown origin.)
1. E u m e x B a n k s et Sol.; glaberrimus, caule profunde sulcato flexuoso divaricatim ramoso
prostrato, foliis anguste linearibus margine crispatis v. planis, pedicellis fructiferis reflexis incrassatis, floribus
hermaphroditis, valvulis triangularibus apice acuminato recurvo dorso carinato sæpius arcuato, lateribus
spinuloso-limbriatis. E. Browniauus, Campd. 3Ionog. A. Cunn. Frodr.