Herriott. — Plants from the Southern Islands. 389 



Acssna sanguisorbae, var. antarctica. 



" The leaves are pale-green, but not whitish-green as those 

 of A. sanguisorbce var. pilosa, glabrous on upper surface but 

 with many adpressed hairs on under surface. It may be dis- 

 tinguished at a glance from A. sanguisorbce var. pilosa by the 

 general aspect, which is chiefly brought about by the colour 

 of the leaves,"* &c. 



Hab— This, plant is found in Lord Auckland Group, on 

 Campbell Island, and also on Antipodes Island. On Auckland 

 Island it forms part of the Pleurophyllum meadow formation, 

 " trailing over the surface of the ground very abundantly in 

 long shoots with its characteristic pale-green leaves. "f 



On Campbell Island, where the land has been cleared for 

 various purposes a new formation has arisen, and its most 

 prominent member is Acama sanguisorbae antarctica, which is 

 spreading so rapidly as to become a weed in the eyes of the 

 farmer. 



On Antipodes Island, again, it is spreading very rapidly. 

 The albatros is very abundant on this island at certain times 

 of the year, and where its nest occurs the primitive vegetation 

 round has been destroyed. Dr. Cockayne found that " in nearly 

 all cases Accena and Stellaria were the first plants to make their 

 appearance " (p. 299) in repopulating the bare places. The 

 young albatros helps to distribute the plant. The seeds are 

 matted in the down on its breast, and as it pushes its way down 

 to the water they are rubbed off or scattered in the down. This 

 plant forms a prominent feature of the tussock meadow, " climb- 

 ing in thick masses over grass and fern " (p. 293). 



On the rockery it is flourishing well, growing over the stones 

 and other smaller plants, and, by reason of its large and peculiarly 

 tinted leaves, forming quite a prominent member. Hairs are 

 present on the lower surface of the leaf opposite the midrib 

 and the more important veins, and also as small tufts at the 

 apex of each tooth of the serrate margin. 



It is quite distinct from A. sanguisorbce pilosa, which is grow- 

 ing next it on the rockery — quite an insignificant member, com- 

 pletely overshadowed by its larger-leaved relative. The ana- 

 tomical structures of the two present striking points of contrast, 

 as may be seen by referring to figs. 5a and 56. 



Anatomy (figs. 5a, 56, 5c, 5d, be). — There is no distinct 

 cuticle, but the outer walls of the epidermal cells (ep.) of both 

 surfaces bulge out to form short papillae (pap.), and the outer 

 walls of these cells are considerably thickened (ep.). In A. 



* Cockayne (1903), p. 319. 

 tCockavne (1903), p. 259. 



