Aciphylla.] UMBELLIFERZ. 209° 
of spinous bracts; male inflorescence much more lax than the 
female. Bracts with broad sheaths and a 3-5-partite limb, the- 
middle segment much the longest, not refracted. Flowers white: 
calyx-teeth obsolete. Fruit oblong, +-4in. long; carpels usually 
one 4-winged the other 3-winged, but sometimes both 4-winged 
or both 3-winged. Vittae 2-4 in the interspaces and 5-6 on the 
commissural face.—Lindsay, Contr. N.Z. Bot. 49, t.1; Kirk, Stu- 
dents’ Fi. 207. A. squarrosa var. b latifolia, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. 
i. 88. 
Var. conspicua, Kirk, l.c.—Leaf-segments not so rigid, with a broad 
orange or red midrib. Bracts bright-orange, often pinnately divided. 
Var. maxima, Kirk, l.c.—Taller and stouter. Stem 4-10ft. high, 2-4 in. 
diam. at the base. Leaves 14-5ft. long; segments $in. broad or even more, 
still more rigid and pungent. Peduncles and pedicels longer. Fruit larger, 
# in. long. 
NortrH AND SourH IstaAnps: Common in mountain districts from the Kast 
Cape to Southland; most abundant between 1000-3000 ft., but ascending to 
nearly 5000ft., and occasionally coming down to sea-level. Var. conspicua : 
North Island: Locality not stated, Herb. Colenso! Ruahine Mountains, W. I’. 
Howlett! South Island: Wangapeka, Kingsley; Mount Murchison, Townson ! 
Upper Waimakariri, Cockayne! T. F.C. Var. maxima: Mountain districts 
from Nelson to Otago, not uncommon. Taramea ; Spaniard. December— 
January. 
By far the finest species of the genus; easily distinguished from all others by 
the large size and broad leaf-segments. The two varieties described above have 
a very distinct appearance, but the differences are hardly of specific value. 
2. A. squarrosa, Morst. Char. Gen. 136, t. 38.— Stem tall, 
stout, erect, 2-6 ft. high, 2-4in. diam. below, deeply grooved, sur- 
rounded at the base by the numerous spreading spinous-pointed 
leaves. Radical leaves 1-3 ft. long, 2-3-pinnate ; ultimate leaflets 
crowded, 6-12 in. long or more, very narrow-linear, 4-1 in. broad, 
coriaceous and rigid, deeply striate, gradually narrowed into rigid. 
spinous points, margins rough with minute serrulations; sheaths 
broad, produced above on each side into a long pinnately divided 
spinous leaflet. Inflorescence a dense spike-like panicle composed 
of numerous umbels almost concealed in the axils of spinous bracts; 
female inflorescence much more contracted than the male. Bracts 
with a broad linear-oblong sheath tipped with 3-5 long rigid spines, 
the middle one much the longest and usually sharply refracted 
when the fruit is mature. Fruit oblong, }-4in. long; carpels 
usually one with 4 wings, the other with 3. Vitta 2-3 in the inter- 
spaces and 4-6 on the commissural face.—Hook. Ic. Plant. t. 607, 
608; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 87; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 92. Ligusti- 
cum aciphylla, Spreng. in Schultes Syst. Veg. 554. A. Rich. Fl. 
Now. Zel. 274; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 505; Raoul, Choix, 46. 
Norra anp SoutH Istanps: Abundant from the Hast Cape southwards, 
especially in mountain districts. Sea-levei to 3500 ft.. Taramea ; Kurikuri;. 
Spear-grass. November—January, 
