CoLENSo. — On new PJmnogamic Plants. 267 



Obs. This very jfine species is naturally allied to A. solandri, 

 A. Cunn,, and to A. microspernmm, Col.,* but differing largely 

 from them both in several important characters, particularly in 

 size, length, and shape of sub-panicles (racemes), in its extraor- 

 dinarily long bracts, its different yellow-brown flowers, its very 

 peculiar large corrugated and hastate anthers, and its curiously 

 flattened broad and nerved hairs. 



2. A. graminifolia, sp. nov. 



Plant slender, few (7-8) leaved ; apparently of simple dis- 

 tinct habit of growth. Leaves sub-membranaceous, largely 

 drooping, 15-21 inches long, i inch wide, linear-acuminate, 

 tips filiform ; the upper surface glabrous, dull greyish-green ; 

 the lower pubescent-hoary ; hairs small, greyish, very closely 

 adpressed ; many nerved, with small distant transverse veinlets 

 between them, and 2 very prominent narrow equidistant reddish 

 nerves on the upper surface ; margins slightly recurved and 

 ciHate with fine shaggy white hairs ; the base spreading, 

 gradually dilated, 1 inch wide, very membranous, with fine 

 silvery shining hairs thick on both surfaces. Scape (female) 

 6-7 inches long including panicle, erect, densely shaggy with 

 white shining hairs, as also pedicels and outsides of floral 

 bracts and bracteoles ; panicle loose, 2 inches long, composed 

 of 2 distant erect racemes and 3 intermediate solitary flowers ; 

 flowers in racemes close-set, pedicelled ; pedicels J^^th inch, 

 patent ; the upper raceme of top about 4 inch long, composed 

 of 17 flowers; the lower raceme, distant about 1^ inches from 

 the upper one, about f inch long, composed of 20 flowers, with 

 peduncle + inch, and a long leaf-like membranaceous and very 

 acuminate bract, 6^ inches long at base ; each of the solitary 

 flowers having a long bract at base of pedicel. Flowers : 

 perianth rather large, reddish -brown, glabrous, somewhat 

 scarious, forming a very loose globular cup around ovary ; 

 segments free, f th of perianth, narrow, linear-ovate, acuminate, 

 1-nerved, the nerve extending to base of perianth ; a long very 

 narrow linear sub-erect reddish 1-nerved bracteole at base of 

 each pedicel. Ovary (immature) broadly ovoid-acummate, 

 rather suddenly contracted towards apex in forming a long 

 beak ; style ; stigma 3-lobed, puberulous ; anthers (abortive) 

 opposite segments, arising from segmental nerve at edge of cup, 

 minute, long, filiform, sub-hastate. 



Hab. Woods, hilly country north of Napier, County of 

 Wairoa ; 1886 : Mr. A. Hamilton. 



Obs. A very peculiar species, unhke all others of the genus 

 known to me ; yet possessing near affinity to A. spicata, Col.,-f- 



' ■• Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xvii., p. 251. 

 t " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xiv., p. 336. 



