Cross. — Observations on some New Zealand Ilalophytes. 553 



10. Plagianthus divaricatus. 



Station. — (1.) H.C. : (a.) A more or less close line marks out the course 

 of almost all the channels ; it is noticeable that the bushes do not root 

 actually in the water, but about half-way up their moist banks, (b.) Soli- 

 tary bushes are scattered all over the salt meadow, (c.) Lines and clumps 

 break the monotony of the acres of rushes in the marshes ; these lines of 

 bushes, in some cases almost straight, at first sight might appear to have 

 been planted in this fashion for hedges, but on close inspection it may 

 be seen that they follow the course of streams, or, at least, damper parts 

 in the marshes. (2.) N.Br. : As at H.C. (3.) Tu. : Only a very few 

 bushes were found, and these, in marked contrast to those at H.C. and 

 N.Br., were in the very driest situation — namely, among the rocks of the 

 railway embankment. 



Life Form. — A compact, low-growing, much-branched, coprosma-like 

 shrub, 4-8 ft. high according to Cheeseman, but none were observed over 

 6 ft. in height. The plant as a whole presents a dull grey appearance, some- 

 times with a shghtly purplish tinge. It is one of the few deciduous New 

 Zealand plants. It is practically deciduous, for in the more exposed parts 



all the leaves fall off in the beginning 

 of the winter, except a few towards 

 the very innermost parts of the 

 bush, where they are protected by 

 the interlacing mass of branches. 

 The few straggling bushes at Timaru 

 are quite deciduous. 



The branches are extremely tough, 

 slender, divaricating. Very often 

 they are much interlaced. This is 

 more noticeable in those at H.C. 

 and N.Br. At Tu. they are less 

 Fig. 4.-PLAGIANTHUS DivABicATiTs. branched, and spread out rather 



Epidermis, showing glandular hairs, highly more freely. 



magnified. Leaves are alternate, or, more 



commonly, fascicled, 2-10 mm. long 

 (though in seedUng forms they may be twice this length), linear, obovate, 

 or lanceolate. The margin is entire, and the apex generally obtuse, though 

 sometimes acute. Cheeseman describes the leaf as " one-nerved " ; but 

 there is a quite distinct, complex, reticulate venation. 

 Roots are short and stout, branching horizontally. 



A short account of the flower may be given here, as flowers were col- 

 lected at Heathcote from the 21st June, though Cheeseman gives the 

 period of flowering as September-October. This early flowering is rather 

 surprising so far south, more especially as the winter has been rather 

 severe. Again, of the genus Cheeseman says, " The New Zealand species 

 are practically dioecious, although a few hermaphrodite or female flowers 

 are occasionally mixed with male ones " ; but every flower examined was 

 found to be hermaphrodite, though strongly protandrous. It may be 

 possible that the gynoecium in some cases has been overlooked, as it is very 

 small at a stage when the androecium is relatively large. 



A curious point, too, is that, though typically there are five sepals, 

 almost every calyx had a small extra sepal opposite one of the petals. The 

 androecium, again, is worthy of note on account of its large pollen-grains 



