60 FLORA ANTARCTICA. [Auckland and 



ing will rank, thus characterized : " § 2. Decussata. Frutices Antarctica? v. Australasica?. Folia crassiuscula, 

 nitida, glaberrima, decussatim opposita, integerrima v. rarius subserrata, costa valida, venis inconspicuis. Racemi 

 ad apices ramorum corymboso-congesti, v. rarius in axillis abbreviati, pauciflori. Capsula acuta v. obtusiuscula, 

 turgida v. parallele compressa." — Benth. MSS. 



2. Veronica Benthami, Hook. fil. ; fruticosa, ramulis junioribus bifariam puberulis demum 

 glabris, foliis decussatis oblongis v. oblongo-obovatis v. lineari-oblongis obtusis basi angustatis ses- 

 silibus planis coriaceis uninerviis linea puberula alba marginatis integerrimis v. ultra medium remote 

 serratis, racemis terminalibus, floribus inter bracteas foliaceas breviter pedicellatis, calycis laciniis 5 

 valde inaequalibus obtusis corollas tubo multo longioribus, corolla 5-partita, capsula majuscula late 

 ovata acuta. (Tab. XXXIX. & XL.) 



Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; on rocky places on the hills, abundant. 



Frutex erectus, 2-4 pedalis, ramosus. Caulis brevis, validus, fuscus. Rami patentes, demum ascendentes, 

 annulati, nudi, cortice fusco, opaco, longitudinaliter corrugato tecti. Ramuli erecti, validi, crassi, interdum 

 crassitudine penna? anserinae, 5-7 unc. longi, obscure tetragoni, angulis obtusis, creberrime annulati v. potius 

 transversim cicatricosi, basi nudi, sursum versus apices tantum foliosi, cortice pallide testaceo. Folia decussata, 

 irobricata, horizontaliter patentia, inferiora majora, 1—1 ^ unc. longa, |-1 unc. lata, gradatim minora, sessilia v. 

 in petiolum brevissimum attenuata, ima basi interdum connata, plana, forma varia, saepius obovato-oblonga, nunc 

 elliptica v. oblonga, rarius lineari-oblonga v. angustiora, obtusa, subacuta v. mucrone obtuso, basi semper atte- 

 nuata, coriacea, integra v. supra medium remote crenato-serrata ; margine tenuiter recurvo, linea latiuscula, 

 alba, puberula, subargentea circumdato, versus apicem latiore et interdum plus minusve super pagiuam supe- 

 riorem folii extensa, et tomento molli breve ciliata ; supra intense viridia, subnitida, medio canaliculata, avenia ; 

 subtus pallidiora, subglaucescentia, costa medio prominula, valida; siccitate atro-fusca v. testacea, supra sa?pius 

 transversim corrugata. Racemi elongati, 1|-2| unc. longi, terminales, erecti, validi, bracteis foliaceis tecti, 

 sa?pius simplices, interdum basin versus ramosi, ramis abbreviatis. Rachis tota albido-pubescens v. subtomen- 

 tosa, teres, stricta ; fructifera, demum elongata, basi nuda; anni praeteriti persistens, lignosa, ramulo lateralis. 

 Bractece foliaceae, folia summa omnino simulantes, sed minores, inferiores f, suprema? ^ unc. longa?, albido-mar- 

 ginata? ut folia caulina, brevissime petiolatae, petiolis basi distantibus, omnes floriferae. Flores racemo singulo 

 circiter 20-30, quorum 6-8 tantum simul explicant, in axillis bractearum solitarii, pedicellati, limbo corolla? 

 exserto, conspicuo. Pedicelli±-l unc. longi, erecti, pubescentes ; fructiferi elongati, validi, lignosi. Calyx pro- 

 funde quinquepartitus, majusculus, campanulatus v. infundibuliformis, corolla? tubo multo longior, interdum 

 limbum ejus aequans ; laciniae 2 exteriores laterales, caeterae \ longiores et bis latiores, obovato-spathulatae, 

 obtusae, foliaceae, sub 2 lin. longae, albo marginatae ; caeterae subaequales, lineari-spathulatae, apicibus rotundatis 

 paululum recurvis. Corolla hypocrateriformis, ampla, ringens v. patens, diametro 5-6 lin., intense azurea, venis 

 violaceis ; tubus limbo A brevior ; laciniae inter se aequales v. inaequales, plerumque 5, rarius 3 v. 6, nunquam 4 

 (mihi visae), obovato-spathulatae v. late obovata?, forma variae, nunc angustiores, nunc latiores. Stamina 2, 

 rarius 3, fauce corolla? inserta ; filamenta brevia, valida, subulata, laciniis sub \ breviora ; antheris majusculis, 

 purpureis, loculis divaricatis. Ovarium late ovatum, subacutum, compressum, 2-sulcatum, 2-loculare, loculis 

 pluriovulatis ; ovulis marginibus inflexis dissepimentorum adnexis. Stylus validus, breviusculus, paulo curvatus. 

 Stigma capitatum. Capsula in spicam v. racemum elongatum, erectum, nudum disposita?, breviter v. longius 

 pedicellata?, pedicellis nunc 3-5 lin. longis, majuscula?, erectae, paulo longiores quam lata?, 3-4 lin. longa?, cori- 

 acea?, late ovata?, acutae, turgidae, bi- tripartibiles, bi- triloculares, septicide v. rarius locuiicide bi- trivalves ; 

 valvula? ovata?, acutae, pallide (lava? v. atrae, dorso ab apice ad medium et antice ad basim fissa? ; placentae pedi- 

 cellata?, ab urraque valvula discedentes, pedicellis gracilibus ; rarius, et solummodo ubi capsula trilocularis sit, 

 semina marginibus connatis dissepimentorum affixa sunt. Semina parva, imbricata, brunnea, compressa, ala lata, 



