Gen. lY. ASPERULA, .
Omnia Golii, sed corolla infundibuliformis v. campanulata.
This genus differs from Galium in the campanulate or funnel-shaped corolla, which in the New Zealand species
is not a very obvious character.—The species ai-e not so numerous as those of Galium, nor so very widely spread,
being chiefly abundant in tbe temperate and dry regions of the globe; several are found in Australia. (Name from
asper, rough ; many of the species, but not the New Zealand one, being scabrid.)
1. Asperula p erpiisilla, H o o k .f ll.; annua, decumbens, glaberrima, caulibus capillaceis curvis ramosis
ascendentibus foliosis, foliis 4<-nis minimis lanceolatis acuminatis aristatis, flore terminali solitario sessili pro
p lan ta magna, corolla campanulata 4 -p a rtita lobis suberectis obtusis, stylo erecto brevi bifido, stigmatibus
capitatis, fru ctu glaberrimo.
H a b . N o rth e rn Islan d . F o o t of Tongariro, and of th e Ta rarua range, Colenso.
A very small, perfectly smooth plant, resembling a slender Tillæa, 1 -2 inches long. Slems very slender, threadlike,
branched ; branches ascending. Leaves four iu a whorl, 1 -2 lines long, lanceolate, acuminate, with a bristle at
the point, smooth, often curving to one side. Flowers white, large for the size of the plant, terminal, solitaiy, sessile.
Ovarium quite smooth. Corolla campanulate, divided to the base into four linear blunt lobes. Styles united nearly
throughout their length, separate and diverging at the top, each with a capitate stigma.—This is the smallest species
of the genus I know.
N a t . O r d . XLIV. COMPOSITÆ, Juss.
Gen. I . OLEARLY, Moench.
Cagntulmi multiflorum, heterogamum, radiatum v. discoideum. Involucrum depresso-hemispbæricum,
c av um; squamis multiseriatis, disco longioribus. Receptaculum convexum, nudum, alveolatum v. papillosum,
subflmbrilliferum. F l. ra d ii si adsint 1-seriati, ligulati, foeminei ; staminibus abortivis : disci tubulosi,
hermaphroditi, 5-fidi; filamentis brevibus ; antheris breviter caudatis. Acheniurn elongatum, costatum, glab
rum V. sericeum. Pappus duplex ; setis scabris, inæquahbus, 2-seriatis, exterioribus brevioribus.— Frutices,
Branching shrubs or small trees, generally woolly ou the branchlets and underneath the leaves, which are broad,
coriaceous, alternate, petiolate, more or less toothed. Heads with or without a ray, very many-flowered. Involucre
broadly hemispherical, of many narrow imbricate scales. Receptacle naked, convex, hollow, papillose or pitted.
Flowers of the ray when present whitish, ligulate, female, with very imperfect stamens or none ; of the disc tubular,
campanulate, five-cleft. Fruit elongated, smooth or silky, ribbed. Fappus of many rigid scabrid bristles, placed in
two rows, ii-regular in length, the outer shorter.—This very fine genus comprehends the handsomest shrubby
Compositæ of New Zealand, bearing large beads, which are white with a purplish or yellow eye ; they are chiefly
confined to the Middle and Southern Islands, especially to the west coast ; the New Zealand species are all peculiar ;
a few others are found in Australia and Tasmania. I t differs from Eurybia in the double pappus and much larger
beads of flowers; from Celmisia chiefly in being shrubby. (Name from Olea, an olive-tree, which some species
resemble.)
§ a. Peduncles \-jlowered. Flowers rayed.
1. Olearia operina, Hook. fil. ; ramulis pedunculis bracteis foliisque subtus tomento albo laxe appresso
vestitis, foliis obovato- v. lineari-lanceolatis acutis acuminatisve obtuse crebre crenato-dentatis crassis coriaceisque
nervis superne obscuris impressis subtus inconspicuis, pedunculis validis erectis, bracteis lanatis
imbricatis ovatis obtusis, involucri squamis exterioribus latioribus dense lanatis interioribus anguste linearib
u s acuminatis glabratis, floribus radii ligulatis, acheniis profunde sulcatis sericeis.
Yar. a ; foliis hncari-lanceolatis acuminatis, rad ii ligulis elongatis. Arnica operina, Forst. Frodr.
Yar. /3 ; foUis la tioribus Hneari- v. obovato-lanceolatis, radii ligulis brevibus.
H a b . Middle Islan d . Yar. ¿t. Dusky Bay, Forster, Menzies. Yar. P o rt Preservation, LyaU.
A small branching shrub, with the young brauches, leaves below, peduncles, th en bracts, and involucre densely
covered with a thick, loosely appressed coat of white wool, which turns yellowish in drying, and almost ludes the
nerves of the leaf. Leaves crowded at the ends of the branches, spreading, very thick, coriaceous and rigid, 2 ^-34
inches long, sharp-pointed, narrow, linear-lanceolate in var. a, broader and obovate-lanceolate in var. /3, which also
bears leaves like var. a ; margins cut into many short, blunt teeth. Peduncles axillary amongst the upper branches,
shorter than the leaves, stout, erect, one-flowered, covered with closely imbricating, ovate, blunt bracts. Heads 1
inch broad, nearly 2 inches in var. a, on account of the long lignlm, which are, when spread out, nearly an inch
long.—This beautiful plant I never knew perfectly till Dr. Lyall brought fine specimens from New Zealaud. In the
‘ Flora Antarctica ’ (vol. i. p. 37) I considered this to be the same as the following species, 0. semidentata, and as
belonging to the same genus with Chiliotrichum amelloides of Fuegia and the Falkland Islands (Flora Antarctica,
vol. ii. p. 304 b is); the latter genus, however, I now retain, on account of the naiTOwer receptacle and linear scales
amongst the outer flowers of the disc.
2. Olearia semidentata, Decaisne ; fruticulus erectus, ramulis gracilibus, fohis su b tu s peduncuHs
bracteisque lana appressa dense vestitis, fohis lineari-oblongis lanceolatisve acutis remote serratis, pedun-
culis gracilibus, bracteis paucis remotis, floribus radii hg u la elongata, acheniis elongatis costatis. Decaisne,
Icon, in Foy. Venus, n u llis notis adyectis.
FIa b . Chatham Islan d , Dieffenbach.
Apparently a smaller plaut than 0 . operina, with more slender branches and peduncles, more appressed and
floccose down. Leaves 1 4 -2 4 inches long, more linear and oblong, less contracted into a petiole, and much less
coriaceous than in 0. operina, sharp but not acuminate, remotely toothed. Peduncles variable in length, with a few
linear-oblong, very woolly bracts. Heads 1 -1 4 inches broad.—The specimens figured in Yoy. Yenus are larger
and have rather more lanceolate leaves than mine; they were gathered at Chatham Island, I believe.
3. Olearia angustifolia, Hook. f il .; ramis robustis, ramuhs fohis subtus pedunculis involucrisque dense
lanatis, foliis eonfertis auguste elongato-lanceolatis longe acuminatis creberrime creimlatis subtus nervosis
crassis coriaceisque, pedunculis vahdis, bracteis superioribus foliaceis, acheniis sericeis costatis.
H a b . S outhern Island, D r. L ya ll.
Apparently a large shrub, with stout branches, aud branchlets as thick as the little finger, covered, as are tlie
leaves below, witb a dense white tomentum. Leaves 3 -5 inches long, 4 iuch broad, very thick and coriaceous,
iiarrowq linear-lanceolatc, tapering to a loug sharp point, the margins very closely crenate, with small blunt te e th ;
under surface marked with prominent parallel veins. Peduncles of old fiowers only seen, nearly as long as the
leaves, axillary, stout, erect, covered loosely with large linear bracts below, which above become larger and quite
like small leaves, an inch long. Scales of the old involucre linear-lanceolate; pappus rather short, brownish. Fruit
deeply furrowed aud ribbed, silky.
§ b . B i ia c i iy g l o s s a . Floicers in terminal and axillary panicles, with short rays or none.
4. Olearia Colensoi, Hook. fil.; ramuhs robustis foliisque subtus dense tomentosis, fohis obovatis
petiolatis acutis irregulariter et argute subduplicato-eroso-serratis superne impresso-venosis, paniculis 5 -7 -
cephalis, capitulis pedicellatis, bracteis late ovatis concavis sericeis, involucri sipiamis glabratis apices versus
n I