Tab. 5503. 

 ASTELIA Solandhi, 



Dr. Solanders Astelia, <5 



Nat. Ord. Liliacejs. — Dicecia IIexandiua. 



Gen. Char. Flares abortu polyganio-dioici. Peritonism sexpartitum, semi- 

 glumaceum, persistens. Stamina imo perigonio inserta. Ooarium triloculare, 

 v. dissepimentia incornpletis uniloculare, placentis parietalibus tribus. Otula 

 plurima. Stylus nullus ; stigmata 3, obtusa. Baaca uni-trilocularis, polysperma. 

 — Herbse, in insula Diemen, in Nova Zelandia, in America antarctica et in in- 

 siilis Sandwich observata, habilu fere Tillandsise, et srepius pariter in arborum 

 truncis vivis tel emortuis parasitica ; vadice fibrosa ; foliis radicalibus imbricatis, 

 lanceolato-linearibus v. tnsiformibus, carinalis utrinque vel subtus appresse villous, 

 basi sericeo-lanatis ; caule nullo v. brtvi planifolio ; floribus racemosis v. panicu- 

 latis, rariusve subsolitariis ; pedicellis hand artictilatis, unibraclealis ; floribus 

 exttis sericeis. End!. 



Astelia Solandri; foliis e basi lata densissime villosa longe lineari-subulatis 

 2-3-costatis, paniculae ramis brevibus v. valde elongatis, masc. densifloris, 

 floribus brevipedicellatis, perianthii profunde 6-partiti Liciniis membrana- 

 ceis linearibus, filamentis elongatis, antheris lineari-elongatis >a /&«. panicolaa 

 ramis densifloris, floribus minoribus tubo hemisphasrico, limbi lobis 6 re- 

 flexis, staminibus sterilibus ore perianthii insertis, ovario globoso triloculari, 

 ovulis placentis axillaribus affixis, stylo subelongato. Hook. fit. 



Astelia Solandri. A. Cunn. Prodr. Ft. Nov. Zd. in Hook. Comp. to Bot. Mag. 

 v. 2. p. 374. Hook. fl. Ft. N. Zeal. v. I. p. 260, et in Handb. o/N. Zeal. 

 Ft. p. 284. 



Astelia furfuracea. Banks et Sol. mss. cum ic. 



The genus Astelia of Banks and Solander is a very peculiar 

 one, native exclusively of the southern hemisphere, which End- 

 licher places in a group of Juncea he calls " Asteliese," while 

 Dr. Hooker refers it to Liliacea, near Phormium and Cvrdyline, 

 and of which five species are recorded as natives of New Zea- 

 land, one in Oahu," one in Fuegia, and another in Tasmania. 

 "All," Dr. Hooker observes, " are densely-tufted herbs, with a 

 short, creeping rhizome, with very long leaves, more or less 

 covered with shaggy wool or silvery hairs. The large kinds 

 form a conspicuous feature on the lofty trees of New Zealand 

 forests, where, growing epiphytically on branches, they resemble 



APRIL 'ST, 1365. 



