76 FLORA ANTARCTICA. [Auckland and 



" Genus inter ASPHODELEAS et JUNCEAS."— Brown. 



ASTELIA, Banks et Soland. 



Flores polygamo-dioici. Herm. Masc. Perianthium semiglumaceum, sexfidum v. profunde sexpartitum ; 

 laciniis oblongis lineari-oblongisve, sub apice incrassatis, 3 exterioribus paulo majoribus, dorso sericeis. Sta- 

 mina 6, laciniis perianthii inserta ; filamentis brevibus v. elongatis ; ancheris brevibus, didyrnis, introrsis ; pollen 

 ovoideum v. angulatum, granulatuni v. minutissime echinulatum, latere unico excavaturn. Ovarium aborti- 

 vum. Fl. Herm. F<em. Perianthium ut in masculo, persistens. Stamina imperfecta. Ovarium oblongum v. 

 globosum, obtuse trigonum v. trilobum, uni- tri- sexloculare. Ovula plurima, biserialia, ascendentia, anatropa. 

 Placenta in ovariis unilocularibus 3-seriales, parietales, v. summo loculi affixa? ; in iis trilocularibus angulo in- 

 teriore superne suspensse. Stylus brevissimus, crassus, teres, saepius subnullus. Stigma sessile, trilobum. Bacca 

 turgida, globosa v. elongata, perianthio emarcido v. rarius baccato suffulta v. inclusa et stigmate plerumque coro- 

 nata, interdum submembranacea uni- trilocularis, rarius 5-6-locularis, loculis 2-polyspermis. Semina ovoidea 

 v. angulata, ad raphin incrassata v. subcarinata, in bacca uniloculari plurima, interdum pulpa immersa, horizon- 

 talia, biserialia, rarius pendula ; in bacca pluriloculari ex apice loculi pendula ; funiculis brevibus ; umbilico nudo. 

 Membrana seminis externa Crustacea, interdum ossea, aterrima, nitida. Nucleus pendulus ; membrana interior 

 tenuis, chalaza lata orbiculari ope raphis cum umbilico junctus. Albumen dense carnosum. Embryo parvus in 

 basi albumiuis inclusus, extremitate radiculari incrassata bilo proxima. — Herbse insularum Oceani Pacifici et 

 Antarctici, Nova Zelandia Tasmaniwque incola, nullibi copioste, caspitosa , plus minusve sericeo-paleacea. Caules 

 breviusculi, foliosi. Folia elongata, plerumque carinata, trinervia. Flores racemosi, paniculati v. scapis abbreviates 

 bini, basi bracteolati. 



1. Astelia linearis, Hook. fil. ; foliis patulis lineari-elongatis acutis canaliculars appresse 

 argenteo-paleaceis sericeis v. glabriusculis subtus carinatis, scapo perbrevi 1— 2-flore, flore inferiore 

 basi bracteato, bacca lineari-oblonga carnosa obtuse trigona 1-loculari, seminibus plurimis placentis 

 parietalibus affixis. 



Var. /3. subulata ; pumila, foliis lineari-subulatis. 



Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; on the bare ground, not uncommon, 

 especially on the hills in open places. 



Species pusilla, polymorphs, dense caespitosa, habitu A. alpinat et pumila sed foliis multoties angustioribus, 

 magnitudine varians. Radix lignosa, fusiformis, descendens, parce fibrosa, fibris patentibus, flexuosis, elon- 

 gatis, 2-3 unc. longis, 1 lin. diametr. Caules breviusculi, £-3 unc. longi, densissime compacti, pluries divisi, 

 vaginis fuscis foliorum obtecti, una cum foliis i-| unc. diametri, basi reliquiis fibrosis et squamosis foliorum 

 vetustorum obsiti. Folia omnia radicalia, inferiora interdum recurva, undique patentia, (an obscure trifa- 

 riam imbricata ?) basi late vaginantia, 2-4 unc. longa (in var. /3. ^-| uncialia), lineari-elongata v. rarius an- 

 guste lanceolata, 2-3 lin. lata, gradatim acuminata, crassa et coriacea, supra profunde sulcata v. canaliculata, ad 

 margines plerumque recurva, subtus medio carinata, utrinque plus minusve paleis squamisve argenteis v. rufo- 

 fuscis obtecta v. subsericea, interdum sed rarius glaberrima, luride viridia, ad apices fasciculo squamarum peni- 

 cillata ; vagina latiusculae, scarioso-membranaceae, squamosa; ; squamis byalinis, appressis, elongatis, fimbriato- 

 laceris, deciduis. Scapus solitarius, perbrevis, \ unc. longus, inter vaginas foliorum occlusus, argenteo-squa- 

 mosus, apice bifidus, biflorus. Flores approximate erecti ; inferior subsessilis, basi bracteatus ; superior pedi- 

 cellatus. Bractea lineari-elongata, obtusa, utrinque furfuraceo-squamosa. Fl. Masc mihi ignoti. Fan. 

 Perianthium sexpartitum ; lacinia; lineares, obtusae, exteriores majores, extus sericeae, versus apices incrassatae, 

 subcucullatae, dorso penicillatee, interiores angustiores, apicibus subincrassatis. Stamina imo perianthii inserta, 



