Asperula.| RUBIACER. 267 
A genus comprising about 60 species, found in the temperate and sub- 
tropical regions of the Old World, but not extending to America or South Africa. 
It only differs from Galiwm in the funnel-shaped corolla. The single New 
Zealand species is endemic. 
1. A. perpusilla, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 114. —A small 
slender decumbent perennial. Stems weak, filiform, branched, 
1-3in. high, glabrous. Leaves in whorls of 4, #,-j4in. long, 
lanceolate, acuminate, awned, straight or curved, margins usually 
ciliate. Flowers minute, white, axillary or terminal, solitary, often 
unisexual; males usually pedicelled; females sessile. Calyx-tube 
glabrous. Corolla ;,in. diam., campanulate, 4- or rarely 5-partite, 
tube very short. Styles united below, their tips free, divergent. 
Fruit of 2 globose minutely granulate cocci.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 121; 
Kirk, Students’ Fi. 248. A. aristifera, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. 
xxi. (1889) 88. 
NortH and SourH Istanps, STEWART ISLAND: Not uncommon from the 
Lower Waikato southwards, ascending to 3000 ft. November—January. 
The corolla-tube is much shorter than is usual in Asperwla, and the species 
would almost be better placed in Galiwm. 
A. fragrantissima, Armst. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 359, is probably a 
form of Galiwm umbrosum. 
Orper XXXVIIIl. COMPOSITAL, 
Herbs, shrubs, or sinall trees. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite 
or whorled; stipules wanting. Inflorescence composed of one or 
many flower-heads (capitula), each consisting of numerous minute 
flowers (florets) sessile and densely packed on the enlarged tip of 
the flower-stalk (receptacle), surrounded by an involucre of whorled 
bracts and resembling a single flower. Heads either solitary and 
terminal (rarely axillary) or arranged in corymbose cymes or 
panicles, sometimes contracted into clusters or even compound 
heads. Involucre of few or many bracts (scales of the involucre) 
arranged in one or several rows. Receptacle either naked (no brac- 
teoles mixed with the florets) or with bracteoles in the shape of 
chaffy scales or bristles (pale@) placed at the outside of most or all 
ot the florets, sometimes with the surface pitted or honeycombed. 
Florets many or few (very rarely 1), either all of one kind as regards 
sex, when the heads are said to be homogamous, or of more than 
one kind, when they are called heterogamous. The homogamous 
heads either have all their florets tubular and hermaphrodite (dis- 
covd) or all ligulate and hermaphrodite (liguliflorous). The hetero- 
gamous heads frequently have the central florets tubular and her- 
maphrodite or male, and the outer ones ligulate and female or 
neuter. The heads are then said to be radiate. The tubular florets 
in the centre are called florets of the disc, or simply disc-florets ; 
the ligulate ones florets of the ray, or ray-florets. Heterogamous 
