32 FLORA ANTARCTICA. [Auckland and 



§ 2. Discoideum; radii corollis abbreviatis, bifidis trifidis v. tripartitis. (Pachythrix, Hook.fil.) 



2. Pleurophyllum criniferum, Hook.fil.; caule toto dense albo-lanato, capitulis globosis, 

 subdiscoideis ligulis brevissimis, receptaculo planiusculo alveolato, alveolarum marginibus submem- 

 branaceis dentatis. (Tab. XXIV. & XXV.) 



Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; generally in marshy places from the sea 

 to an elevation of 1000 feet, abundant. M e Quarrie's Island. [Herb. Hook.) 



Radix crassa, carnosa, subfusiformis, descendens, nigro-fusca, collo fibris crassis elongatis rigidis crispato- 

 tortuosis fuscis sublignosis (reliquiis foliorum) coronata. Caulis elatus, erectus, crassus, simplex, v. rarius inferne 

 parce ramosus, 4-6-pedalis, basi unciam diametro, carnosus. Folia inferiora approximata, multinervia, plicata, 

 subtus praecipue valde sericea, basi longe sericeo-villosa, nervis crassis subtus prominentibus fuscis ; marginibus 

 minute spinuloso-serratis : radicalia maxima, concava, ovalia, obtusa, saepe bipedalia, pedem fere lata, basi 

 attenuata amplexicaulia ; superiora sensim minora, angustiora, apice acuminata, basi magis attenuata : suprema 

 fere subulata, in bracteis transeuntia. Capitula in racemum spithameum et ultra disposita, nutantia, majus- 

 cula, subglobosa, unciam lata, pedicellata, pedicellis subuncialibus curvatis teretibus rachique dense sericeo- 

 lanatis. Involucri squamae lanceolatae v. subulatae longissime subaristato-acuminatae, crassa? et coriaceae, dorso 

 pilosae, medio uninerves, marginibus scariosis argute ciliato-serratis, apicibus fuscis. Pappus rigidus, subpale- 

 aceus v. nitidus, recens flavidus, siccitate fuscus apicibus opacis. Fl. Radii sub 3-seriales, ligulati, tubo brevi 

 terete curvato piloso pilis patentibus mollibus laxis moniliformibus ; ligula late ovata, brevissima, tubo subaequi- 

 longa, 4-nervis, 3-dentata, v. inaequaliter 2-3-fida, v. tripartita, segmentis linearibus obtusis, marginibus in- 

 crassatis, luride purpurascens. 



A very common and striking plant, often covering a great extent of ground, and forming the larger pro- 

 portion of the food of the hogs which now run wild upon the islands of Lord Auckland's group. It is 

 indeed so abundant in the marshy spots on the latter islands that these animals frequently live entirely amongst it, 

 especially when it grows near the margins of the woods, where they form broad tracks or runs through the 

 patches, grubbing up the roots to a great extent, and by trampling down the soft stems and leaves use them as 

 soft and warm forms to litter in. The leaves are exceedingly handsome, generally two feet long and one or a 

 little more in breadth, from their concavity holding a considerable quantity of the rain-water or melted snow 

 which so frequently falls in those latitudes ; in substance they are coriaceous, but not nearly so much so as 

 in the preceding species, and they are more copiously silky. A full-grown leaf is generally traversed by 30-40 

 parallel strong nerves, very prominent on the under surface and then dark-coloured and nearly glabrous, 

 depressed on the upper with longer silky hairs. The intervening parenchymatous substance is traversed by 

 numerous slender anastomosing veins, beneath densely clothed with a white appressed cottony wool, and 

 above silky with scattered subarachnoid hairs. The hairs and woolly substance which clothe all the stems, leaves 

 and pedicels of the capitula are formed of simple terete transparent matted filaments. I do not find amongst 

 them any of the short rigid beaded setae which are intermixed with the softer hairs of the P. speciosum. The 

 capitula are 15-20 in number ; the lower ones only bracteate with the uppermost leaves, the terminal generally 

 having a smaller elongate subulate nearly glabrous green bract. The intermediate ones are the most densely 

 silky on both sides, often so much so as entirely to hide the nerves ; in these, too, the curious but minutely 

 spinuloso-serrate character of the margin is most easily detected ; the apices of the serratures are callous and 

 glabrous, almost entirely hid amongst the silky tomentum. 



Though this plant is nearly allied to the former species (P. speciosum), and agrees with it in all the most 

 important characters, they materially differ in the more outward points of resemblance. Indeed I only know 

 one genus to which the present plant bears any marked similarity in general habit and appearance, and that is 

 the ArgyroxypMum, DeC. (Prodr. vol. v. p. G68 ; Hook. Ic. Plant, vol. i. p. 75). The mode of growth of these 



