356 Transactions. — Botany. 



banthus affinis, Hook, f., in Hook. Journ. Bot., ii., 410. 

 Sperqula affinis, Hook., Ic. PL, t. 266. Spergula apetala, 

 Labill., PI. Nov. Holl., i., 112, t. 142 ; DC, Prodr., i., 395. 



Hob. South Island : Nelson to Southland. Stewart Island, 

 Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island, Macquarie 

 Island. Chiefly at sea-level in the South. Ascends to 3,000ft. 

 in Nelson and Canterbury. 



Var. alpinus. 



Much larger than the type, but equally flaccid, and form- 

 ing small tufts lin.-4in. across, with spreading peduncles 

 lin.-4in. long. Sepals ovate-acuminate, with membranous 

 margins, slightly exceeding the capsule. Leaves lin.-2in. 

 long or more, with long acicular tips. 



Hah. North Island : Euahine and Tararua Mountains. 

 South Island : Southern Alps. 1,500ft. to 4,500ft. Also in 

 Victoria, Tasmania, Chili, &c. 



Colobanthns affinis, Hook., figured in Ic. PI., t. 266, differs 

 from any form of C. billardieri found in New Zealand m the 

 broadly-ovate sepals only half the length of the capsule, and 

 in the wide disc. 



3. C. muelleri, n.s. 



A rigid glabrous plant, forming small tufts fin.-l^in. high. 

 Leaves usually recurved, broadly channelled, with short acicu- 

 lar tips and evident midrib, lin.-fin. long, rarely more, rigid. 

 Peduncles Jim-fin. long, often hidden amongst the leaves. 

 Sepals 5, ovate, abruptly narrowed into channelled points with 

 acicular tips, about one-third longer than the capsule. Disc 

 very narrow. C. billardieri, var. platypoda, F. Mueller, in 

 Veg. Chatham Islands, 11. Stellaria uniflora, Banks and Sol., 

 MSS. in Herb. Mus. Brit. 



Hab. North and South Islands ; chiefly in lowland dis- 

 tricts. Mount Camel to Stewart Island ; Chatham Islands ; 

 but often rare and local. Most plentiful on shingly beaches. 



I venture to refer the plant collected by Mr. Buchanan at 

 Mount Camel, and by Banks and Solander at Totaranui, to 

 this species, although I have not seen specimens. Bis dis- 

 tinguished from the preceding species by its rigid habit, and 

 especially by the cartilaginous apiculate sepals, which are 

 longer than the capsule. 



Var. multicaulis. 



Eigid, much-branched from the base, branches naked below. 

 Leaves somewhat lax, spreading, linear-subulate, apiculate, 

 about Jin. long. Peduncles scarcely exceeding the leaves, 

 slender. Sepals narrow-ovate, acute or mucronate, equalling 

 the capsule. 



