T. Kirk. — On a New Species of Chenopodium. 447 



This species forms depressed white or greyish patches, 

 which are easily recognized at a considerable distance owing 

 to the mealy tomentum with which the plant is covered. The 

 stems are excessively branched, the branches being stiff and 

 wiry, especially when dry. The flowers are extremely minute : 

 the female, being much smaller than the male, are necessarily 

 inconspicuous ; but this is not the only cause of their having 

 escaped notice so long : the female perianth is developed on 

 the lower parts of the branches ; it is of the same consistence 

 as the farinose leaves, and so closely resembles the tip of an 

 impoverished branchlet springing from the axil of a leaf that 

 its true nature is only shown by the extremely minute stigmas, 

 which, being extremely delicate and fragile, are easily over- 

 looked, even by a good observer. All traces of the stigma 

 disappear in badly-dried specimens, and it is not an easy 

 matter to detect the female flowers on good specimens, even 

 when they are freely developed. The yellow anthers of the 

 male flowers, which are produced near the tips of the branches, 

 attract attention even on a cursory examination. 



It affords me great pleasure to connect the name of its 

 original discover, Mr. J. Buchanan, F.L.S., with this interest- 

 ing species. 



Gheno'podmm huchanani. 



An annual monoecious herb clothed with farinose tomentum. 

 Stems prostrate or sub-erect, lin.-3in. high, excessively 

 branched, branches wiry. Leaves opposite or alternate, sessile 

 or sub-sessile, ^in.-Jin. long, entire, ovate, or ovate-oblong, 

 or nearly orbicular. Flowers axillary, solitary — male, near the 

 tips of the branches, perianth membranous, shortly peduncled, 

 minutely papillose, 5-cleft, tips of segments incurved, stamens 

 5, exserted ; female, on the lower parts of the branches, 

 2^oin. long, sessile, perianth urceolate, farinose, 2-lipped, 

 stigmas 2. Seed rounded, much compressed, puucticulate, 

 adhering to the utricle. 



Hab. New Zealand. North Island : Port Nicholson ; J. 

 Buchanan, T. Kirk. South Island : The Brothers Eocks, 

 Nelson ; C. Kobson ! Maniototo Plains (1,800ft.) ; D. Petrie, 

 T. Kirk. Centre Island, Foveaux Strait ; T. Kirk. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XXXII. 



Chenopodium huchayiani. 



Fig. 1. Young plaxit, natural size. 



Fig. 2. Staminate flower, natural size and enlarged. 



Fig. 3. Pistillate flower, natural size and enlarged. 



Fig. 4. Pistil, slightly enlarged. 



Fig. 5. Seed, natural size and enlarged. 



Fig. 6. „ side view, enlarged. 



