tuu.
mner spreading at the tip, Stanwis six, exserted. Emit a long bluntly triangular capsule, three-valved; valves
membranous or conaceous, black, more or less twisted or straight. Seeds very numerous in each ceU, two-rowed,
attener, with a loose black testa. (Name, rpoppm, a basket, from the use the leaves are put to.)
1. Phormimn (amx, Forst. Char. Grnt. t. 24. Frodr. Midi. Prodr. Fl. Ms. Norf. A. Rioh. Fl.
A. Gimn. Prodr. Lachenalia ramosa, Lamarck, Fncgcl. Méth.
Tar-, a ; elata, foliis 3-6-pedalibus, scapo 6-16-pedali, floribus majoribus luteis v. sanguineis.—
P. tenax, Forst. Prodr. Midi. Prodr. Bot. Mag. t. 3199. P. Porsteriauum, Colenso in Lond. J m .
Bot. V. S. p . 8. P. Cookianum, Le Jolis, Mân. sur le Lin de la Nouvelle Zélande. Redouté, lÂliaceæ,
t. 448, 449. Chlamydea tenacissima, a sanguinea, B a n h et Sol, MSS. et le.
Var. R ; humilior, folus 2-3-pedalibus, scapo 3-6-pedali, floribus minoribus pallide stramineis luteisve
virescentibus sanguinolentibusve. P. tenax. Le Jolis, Mém. P. Colensoi, Noi. MSS. in Raoul En. Plant.
(Choix des Plantes.) Clilamydea tenacissima, /3 pollens, Banks et Sol. MSS. et le.
Hab. Nortliern and Middle Islands, as far south as lat. 46° 30', Var. a, Bay of Islands, etc. ; var. f t
Southern pails of the Island. Nat. name, “ Harakeke,” Col. (Cultivated in England.)
There are two, and perhaps many more, varieties of this celebrated plant, which have given rise to some discussion
between » . Colenso, M. Le Jolis of Cherbourg, and myself; and which, after much examination, with Mr
Bromi and Mr. Bennett, who have kindly given me their assistance and opinions, I have (in conformity with their
views) considered as one species. This was the conclusion arrived at by Banks and Solander. who discovered the
plant, examined it at several points along the coast, and made admirable drawings and Ml descriptions of both
states. The var, 3 was discovered, drawn, and described in Poverty Bay, October 9th, 1769 ; there are no data
showing when yar. a was &st gathered, bnt it was drawn aud described at Totara-nui, January IBtb, and again
on February 5th, 1770. Of var. a it is smd, that the leaves are brighter green above, glaucous below, scapes red-
purple outer sepals deep orange (though figured as red-pui-ple), inner yeflow at the base; the pod variable in
size, often a span long and twisted. Var. R again is described as a smaller plant, with paler leaves, more slender
flowers (1^ inch long); the outer sepGs are yeUow with a red blush, inner paler, striped with gi-een, Forster
who fii-st published Phormium tenax, collected it at Queen Charlotte’s Sound, on November 17 1773 and hk
figures (lu Mus. Brit.) represent Banks and Solander’s var. a. for which the name tenax must be retained 1
gathered the var. a abundantly, at tbe Bay of Islauds, in 1842. and Mr. Colenso showed me var. R in his garden ■
I t looked a most distmct plant, aud I proposed that it should bear his name, but have since abandoned the idea of
Its being specilieally distinct for many reasons; being influenced, firstly, by the views of Banks and Solander who
paid particular attention to this very point, gathered the plants repeatedly and at many places, and who in’this
and m all other cases, did nothing imperfectly; secondly, by Mr. Brown’s and Mr. Bennett’s opinion, which will’
ly all botanists, be thought conclusive ; thirdly, by the differences between c and R being far within the usual limit:
of variation amongst Liliaceæ; although, owing to the size of the plant, they are peculiarly conspienous, and have
hence had undue importanee attached to them : I must remind the student, however, that a Botanist Gone can
appreciate this argument. Lastly, I find variations in the size and colour of all parts of the cultivated plants of
Phormium m Europe, and none agree with Banks and Solander’s. Forster’s, or my oivn wild specimens. With
Jo l- as Cookianum grew from seeds gathered in lat.
S. : It « k Banks s var. R in its size, and the colour of the foliage aud stem, but differs in the green
mner sepGs. aud dai-k blood-red outer ones : it is described as having long twisted eapsGes._M. Decaisne states
that the plant which flowered at the Jardin des Hantes had large yeUow flowers; and sucb is the case with those
figm-ed m the ‘Botanical Magazine,’ in Eedouté, and in Mifler’s leones Plantarum. In a drawing shown me by
Ml. Brown, the Norfolk Island plant is represented with large yellow flowers; it is undoubtedly a native of that
island, having been obseiwed there duiing Cook’s voyage. It remains to be mentioned, that the flax produced in
he southern parts of the Northern Island of New ZeGand is stated to be of much finer quality than that yielded
by the larger red-flowered Bay of Islands plant. The roots are said to he purgative.
Gen. V. COEDYLINB,
; campanulatum, 6-fidum, aequale, deciduum. Stamina 6, fauce inserta ; filamentis subulatis
'glabris - „ ( f c r a versatilibus. Ovarium locuUs polyspermis; stylo erecto; stigmate 3-lobo. Baeoa
; l s t s Jcularis. plura v. abortu solitaria; umbiHco strophiolato.-Erutices eauleseentes v.
: j / l f : l u t t s e tL n d s (when!e the New Zealand name “ Ti” for C. australis) belongs to this genus and
th a to b in g ^ h e iib ; is woven into cloth. The whole plant forms a hedge. (Name from xopSvA,, u
1 Cordyline »frirfa, Endl.; aeaulis, rhizomate crasso, foliis angustissime Imean-lanceolatis basi sub-
eqmtantibus costatis striatisque margine scaberulis,
floribus parvis sparsis breve pedicellatis, perianthio b r e v i.-& t« . Synops. Ft. Ins. Ooc. Austi. m Ann.
F i e n n .M u s .v .l .p .l6 2 . A. Cunn. Prodr. KrAVaricaiiaa atiich, Banks et Sol. MSS. et Ic. K a Dracmna
s t r i c t a , R o i.J ia * . 7 2575, e im A e y . i i . 956. Tab. L Y III
H ab Northern and Middle Islands; common. Banks and Solander, etc.
Much the smGlest New Zealand speeies. Stem none, or very short, and covm-ed with the bases of the leaves
. J , 4 • +«ri 11 9-Y ffpt lono- i-i-inch broad. PamcZe large and spreading, witn very
Magazine ana ixe„ s , p , LYIII Fie 1 , flower ; 2, the same laid open;—
Norfolk Island plant, whence I have seen no specimens.—P late LVUi. g
both maqniiied. . . . .
2 Cordyline australis, E i d l . ; arborea, trunco IO-40-pedali simplici v. apice ramoso, fohis hnean-
175. Dracmna australis, ib r r f . , , r p ; n r e „ „ ,Cultivated
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands, Nat. name, Ti, Cunn. (Cultivated
in England.) ,
This is a common Bay of Islands plant, with a trunk 20-40 feet high, and 30 inches in “ j
divided at the top, and a head of long, eoriaceous, lanceolate, acuminate, sword-shaped 2-4
narrowed into a petiole, and with midrib and veins inconspicuous, or the latter distme bu sle .
feet loim much branched. Mowers numerous, odorous, larger, and rather more crowded than in C.
Mn : ross when expanded, white; segments of the perianth linear-oblong. Bracts ^ , very M k in m
:„d form ■ outer largest, ovate-aeumiuate or blunt, inner broader, blunt. The pith and bases of tbe petioles of 11.
w e r e ^ ’u sT a s food tbe natives. Wood soft, of no vG n e .-I tlnnk there may bo two species con founded
under this - o n e common in the Bay of Islauds and other northern parts, with the leaves scarcely contracted into a
: 1 aJd : nerves very inconspLous; the other with leaves much contracted and the lateral nerves distinct.
C JttTr Mr. Colenso deLibes L a smaUer and very different plant, bnt I find no eharaeter whatever in tbe