174 NEW ZEALAND SPECIES OP COLOBANTHUS. 



Hook. Ic. PL t. 266. S. apetala Labill. PL Nov. HolL i. 112, 

 t. 142 ; DC. Prodr. i. 395. 



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

 Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island, Macquarie 

 Island. Chiefly at sea-level in the South. Ascends to 3000 ft. in 

 Nelson and Canterbury. 



Var. alpinus. Much larger than the type, but equally flaccid ; 

 forming small tufts 1-4 in. diam., with erect or spreading peduncles 

 1-4 in. long. Sepals ovate-acuminate. Leaves 1-2 in. long or 

 more, with long acicular tips. 



Hab. North Island : Euahine and Tararua Mountains. South 

 Island: Southern Alps, 1500-4500 ft. Also in Victoria, Tas- 

 mania, Chili, &c. 



G. affinis Hook., figured in Ic. PL t. 266, differs from any form 

 of C. BUlanUeri found in New Zealand in the broadly-ovate sepals 

 only half the length of the capsule, and in the wide disc, 



3. C. Muelleri, sp. n. A rigid glabrous plant, forming small 

 tufts ^-\ in. high. Leaves usually recurved, broadly channelled, 

 with short acicular tips and evident midrib, ^-f in. long or more, 

 rigid. Peduncles J-f in. 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. BUlanlieri var. plati/poda F. Muell. Vcg. Chat. Islands, 

 11. SteUaria unijiora Banks & Sol. MSS. in Herb.'Mus. Brit. 



Hab. North and South Island : in lowland districts, but often 

 rare and local ; more plentiful on shingly beaches. Stewart Island. 



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

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

 species, although I have not seen specimens. It is distinguished 

 from C. BiUardieri by the cartilaginous apiculate sepals, which are 

 one-third longer than the capsule, as well as by the rigid habit. 



Var. miilticauUs. Rigid, much branched from the base, branches 

 naked below. Leaves somewhat lax, spreading, linear-subulate, 

 apiculate, about ^ in. long. Peduncles scarcely exceeding the 

 leaves. Sepals narrow-ovate, acute or mucronate, equalling the 

 capsule. 



Hab. South Island : interior of Otago, J. Buchanan ! 



I have only a few scraps of this interesting form, picked from 

 amongst other plants in Mr. Buchanan's herbarium. 



4. C. canaliculatus, sp. n. A small, tufted, much-branched 

 plant I" in. high, branches spreading. Leaves patent or slightly 

 recurved, -^-^ in. long, canaliculate, with stout marginal nerves, 

 apiculate. Flowers i in. long, on very short stout peduncles, 

 axillary or terminating short lateral branchlets. Sepals 5, ovate, 

 acute or subacute, equalling the capsule. Disc thickened. 



Hab. South Island : Central Otago, J. Buchanan ! 



5. C. KEPENs Colenso in Trans. N. Z. I. xix. (1886), 260. 

 Hab. North Island : Hawkes Bay. 



I have not seen specimens of this, which appears to be inter- 

 mediate between C. MuelUri and C. quitensis. 



