tfif H !
mncr spreadmg at the tip. Stamms six. exserted. Fruit a long bluntly triangular capsule, three-valved; valves
membranous or conaceous, black, more or less twisted or straight. Seeds very numerous in each cell, two-rowed,
a tene , u itli a loose black testa. (Name, q>opgiov, a basket, from tbe use the leaves are put to.)
1. Pho rmium iem x , Forst. Char. Gen. t. 21.. Frodr. E n d l. Prodr. F l. In s . N o r f. A . Eich. F l.
A . Ounn. Prodr. Lachenalia ramosa, Lamarck, Fncgcl. Méth.
Var. a ; elata, foliis 3 -6 -p ed alib u s, scapo 6 -1 6 -p ed a li, floribus majoribus luteis y. sanguineis.—
1 . teuax, Forst. Prodr. E n d l. Prodr. B o t. Mag. t. 3 1 9 9 . P . Porsteriauum, Colenso in Lond. Jm r n .
ot. V. 3. p . 8. P . Cookianum, L e .Jolis, Mém. sur le L in de la Nouvelle Zélande. Redouté, LiUaeeoe,
t. 4 1 8 , 119. Chlamydea teiiacissima, a sanguiuea, B a n k s et Sol. M S S . et le .
Var. /3 ; humilior, foliis 2-8 -p ed alib u s, scapo S - 6-pedali, floribus minoribus pallide stramineis luteisve
virescentibus sanguinoleutibusve. P . tenax. L e Jolis, Mém. P . Colensoi, Nob. M S S . in R a o u l E u . P la n t.
(Choix des Plantes.) Chlamydea tenacissima, f i pallens, B ank s et Sol. 3 IS S . et le .
H ae. N o rth e rn and Middle Islands, as far south as la t. 1 6 “ 30'. Var. «, Bay of Islands, eto. ; var. fi,
Southern p arts of th e Islan d . N a t. 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 Mi-. Colenso, M. Le Jolis of Cherbourg, and myself; and which, after much examination, with Mr.
Browii 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 full descriptions of both
states. The var. f i was discovered, drawn, and described iu Poverty Bay. October 9th, 1769; there are no data
s owing when var. a was first gathered, but it was drawn and described at Totara-nui, January 15th, and again
on February Bth, 1770. Of var. a it is said, that the leaves are brighter green above, glaucous below, scapes red-
purple outer sepals deep orange (though figured as red-purple), inner yeUow at the base; the pod variable in
size, often a span long and twisted. Var. fi again is described as a smaller plant, with paler leaves, more slender
fiowers (14 inch long) ; the outer sepals are yellow with a red blush, inner paler, striped with green Forster
who first pubhshed Plwrmium ienax, collected it at Queen Charlotte's Sound, on November 1?', 1773, and hi!
figures (in Mus. B n t.) represent Banks and Solander’s var. a. for which the name tenax must he ret!ined I
gathered the var. a abundantly, at the Bay of Islands, in 1842, and Mr. Colenso showed me var fi in his garden ■
It looked a most distinct plaut. and I proposed that it should bear his name, but have since abandoned the idea of
its being specificaUy 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 wiu'
by all botanists, be thought conclusive ; thirdly, by the difi-erenees between a and fi being far within the usual limit!
of variation amongst Lüiaeeoe ; although, owing to the size of the plant, tliey are pecuharly conspicuous, and have
hence bad undue importance attached to them: I must remind the stiideut, however, that a Botanist alone can
appreciate this argument. Lastly. I find variations in the size and colour of all parts of the cultivated plants of
Flioi-mmm m Europe, and none agree with Banks and Solander’s, Forster’s, or my own wUd specimens With
r r l ? “ f fo“ “' “’ ¿ “Boribed by M. Le Jolis as OooUanum grew from seeds gathered in lat.
46 30 S. : It a^ e e s m th Banks s var. fi in its size, and tho colom- of the foliage and stem, but differs in the green
mner sepals, and dmk blood-red outer ones : it is described as having long twisted eap su les.-M . Decaisne sL e s
that the plant which flowered at the Jardin des Plantes had large yeflow flowers; and such is the case with those
figmed m the ‘Botanical Magazine,’ in Kedonté, and in MUer’s leones Plantarum, In a drawing- shown me by
Mr, Brown, the Norfolk Island plaut is represented with large yellow flowers; it is undoubtedly a native of that
island, having been obseiwed there dm-ing Cook’s voyage. It remains to be mentioned, that the flax produced in
the southern parts of the Northern Island of New Zealaud 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 be purgative.
Gen. V. C O E D T L IN E ,
: campanulatum, fl-fldnm, æquale, deciduum. Stamina 6, fauee in s e rta ; f i la m ^ t i s s u b u latis
nlab ris- « « am /v e r s a ti lib n s . locuUs polyspermis; stylo e re c to ; s i t u a t e 3-\oho Baeca
p lu ta V. ab o rtu so lita ria ; umbilico s tro pH o la to .-E ru tic c s caulescentes v.
—
" 9 ; s . . ( .1 ,™ . .1» « - I . - - w - t a e /
) C d J i b , 1..11. ! . « " l l - . ( ” “ )■
floribus narvis sparsis breve pediceUatis, periantbio b r m . - F n d l . Synops. E l. In s . Occ. A u s tr . m An n .
Fienn. Mus. v. l . p . 1 6 2 . A . Cunn. Prodr. Anthericoides stric ta, B a n k s et Sol. M S S . et le . F ix Dracæna
A fir ia , B o t. Mag. t. 2 5 7 5 , et B o t. Reg. t. <1)55. T ab. L Y I I I .
I I a b N o rth e rn and Middle Is la n d s ; common. B a n k s and Solander, ete.
Mnch the smallest New Zealand species. Stem none, or very short, and covered with the bases of the leaves,
. . T 1 1 • i.t_ 2i f e e t lono- - i - i incli broad. PowicZe large and spreading, witli veiy
Magazine aua s . ^ p , . . « f T W I I I Fi« 1 flower ; 2, the same laid open :—
Norfolk Island plant, whence I have seen no specimens.—PLAfD L V iii. i „ ,
both magnified. . . . .
2 Cordyhnc australis, E n d l ; -arborea, tru n co 10-4-0-pedah simplici v. apice ramoso, fohis Imean-
-« F.7 VI,il Tourn 1 8 2 7 ». 1 7 5 . Dracæna austrabs, Forst.
H ab, N o rth e in and Middle Islan d s, B a n k s a n d Solander, eto. N a t. name, “ Ti,” Cunn. (Cultivated
common Bay ot Islands plant, with a trunk 2 0 -4 0 feet high, and 30
divided at the top, and a head of long, ooriacecns, lanceolate, acuminate, sword-shaped leaves 2 -3 4
narrowed into a petiole, and with midrib and veins inconspicuous, or the latter distmc bu slen ^
feet Ion« mneb brancbed. Flowers numerous, odorous, larger, aud rather more crowded than m C. ^ ^
ross when expanded, white ; segments of the perianth linear-oblong. Bracts three, very var able m me
Ind fm-m ■ °eter largest, ovate-acuminate or blnnt. inner broader, blnnt. The pith and bases of the petioles of th,
T o t o t i u s l d as food !y the natives. Wood soft, ot no v a lu e .- I think there may he two speeies eon onnded
T d e i th i s t io n e common in the Bay of Islands and other northern parts, with the leaves scarcely contracted into a
petiole an’d the nerves very inconspicuous ; the other with leaves much contracted and the lateral nerves distinct.
/ T l a t t e r Mr, Colenso d cL ib e s as a smaUer and very different plant, but I find no character whatever in the
o S