Colobanthus. | CARYOPHYLLES. 67 
times over in. long, upper often very small, 4-}in., narrow-linear 
or linear-subulate, acute or mucronate but not acicular at the tip, 
connate at the base, flat or concave above, convex beneath ; texture 
soft. Peduncles short, stout, terminal. Flowers }in. long. 
Sepals 4, ovate, broad at the base, obtuse at the tip, rather thick. 
Capsule 4 shorter than the sepals.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 24 ; 
Kirk, Students’ Fl. 60. 
SourH Istanp : Nelson —Dun Mountain Range, Mount Arthur, Raglan 
Mountains, 7. F. C.; Wairau Mountains, Travers. Canterbury—Kowai River, 
Haast. Otago— Buchanan ! Altitudinal range 1500 to 4500 ft. Also in 
South America, from Mexico to Cape Horn. 
A well-marked species, at once recognised by the soft leaves, which never 
have acicular points, by the tetramerous flowers, and by the broad obtuse sepals. 
3. C. Billardieri, Fenzl. in Ann. Wien Mus. i. 49.—A small 
densely tufted perennial 4-l4in. high, rarely more. Leaves in 
crowded tufts, usually grassy, often flaccid, very variable in 
length, sometimes lin. long, very narrow linear or filiform, at 
other times shorter, +in., linear-subulate ; broad and membranous 
at the base and sheathing the stem, gradually narrowed upwards, 
acute or acicular at the tip. Peduncles springing from the centre 
of the leaf-tufts, longer or shorter than the leaves, usually elongat- 
ing in the fruiting stage. Sepals 5, ovate, acute or acuminate, as 
long as or rather longer than the capsule. Capsule broadly ovoid, 
obtuse.— Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 14; Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 27; Fi. 
Tasm. 1. 40; \Handb. N.Z. Fl. 25; Benth. Fl. Austral.i. 161; 
Kirk, Students’ Fl. 60. 
Var. alpinus, Kirk, 1.c.—Larger, forming tufts sometimes 4in. diam. 
Leaves 1-2in., with acicular tips. Peduncles 2-4in. long in fruit. Sepals 
ovate, acuminate, rather longer than the capsule. 
NortuH Istanp: Mount Hikurangi, Adams and Petrie ! Ruahine Moun- 
tains, Colenso; Tararua Range, Buchanan; Mount Egmont, 7’. F. C. 
SoutH Istanp, AUCKLAND AND CAMPBELL ISLANDS, ANTIPODES ISLAND, Mac- 
QUARIE IstAND: Abundant throughout. Altitudinal range from sea-level 
to 4500 ft. November-February. Also found in Victoria and Tasmania. 
Separated from C. quitensis by the different habit, acicular tips to the 
leaves, pentamerous flowers, and pointed sepals. From C. Muelleri it can be 
distinguished by the grassy and often flaccid leaves and shorter sepals, which 
last are not acicular; but some forms are very difficult to place. 
4. C. Muelleri, 7. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 356.— 
A small densely tufted perfectly glabrous plant, }-14in. high. 
Leaves rigid, cartilaginous, spreading, often recurved, }-2in. long, 
linear-subulate, broadly channelled above, convex below, narrowed 
into short acicular tips. Peduncles terminal or lateral, 1-3 in. 
long, stout, often hidden among the leaves. Sevals 5, ovate or 
ovate-lanceolate, suddenly narrowed into cartilaginous points with 
acicular tips, about 4+ longer than the capsule.—Students’ Fl. 60. 
C. Billardieri var. brachypoda, Ff’. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 11. 
