352 COMPOSITE. [Cotula. 
glabrous. Leaves 4-lin. long, oblong in outline, membranous, 
deeply pinnatifid or bipinnatifid ; ultimate segments linear, entire, 
acute or mucronate. Heads ;4—tin. diam., on long slender 
peduncles ; involucral bracts in 2 series, linear-oblong, obtuse. 
Female florets numerous, in 3 series, on slender pedicels ; corolla 
wanting. Disc-florets comparatively few, subsessile; corolla tubu- 
lar, dilated at the base, 4-toothed at the tip. Achenes of the 
female florets obovate, with a broad thick wing, glandular on both 
faces; those of the disc-florets much smaller, glabrous, hardly 
winged.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 141; Fl. Tasm. i. 191, t. 50a ; Benth. 
Fl. Austral. ii. 550; Kirk, Students’ Fl. 322. C. venosa, Col. a 
Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. (1891) 388. Strongylosperma australe, 
Less. Syn. Comp. 261. 
KERMADEC Is~ANDS, NortH AND SovutH IsLANDS, CHATHAM ISLANDS : 
Abundant in lowland districts. September—March. 
Also found in Australia, Tasmania, and Tristan d’Acunha ; and perhaps not 
really different from a South African plant. 
3. C. atrata, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 142.—Rhizome stout, 
creeping, tortuous; roots long and stringy. Stems 1-6in. high, 
erect or ascending, stout, leafy, densely pubescent. Leaves 
4-14 in. long, thick and fleshy, pubescent on both surfaces ; petiole 
broad, flat, sheathing at the base; blade linear-oblong or linear- 
obovate in outline, pinnatifid ; segments close-set, entire or toothed 
or again pinnatifid; cauline leaves smaller, pinnatifid or lobed. 
Heads subglobose, 4—#in. diam., black or brownish-yellow; involu- 
cral bracts in 2-4 series, linear-obovate, entire or pinnatifid, shorter 
than the florets or equalling them. Female florets in 3-6 series ; 
corolla cylindric, rugose, 3-4-toothed. Disc-florets with a long 
rugose tube and narrow funnel-shaped 4-toothed limb. _ Achenes 
linear-oblong or linear-obovoid, rugose.—Kirk, Students’ Fl. 323. 
SoutH Istanp: Dry shingle slopes in alpine localities, Nelson to Otago; not 
uncommon. 3500-6500 ft. January—February. 
Easily recognised by the greyish-green foliage and almost black heads. It 
is a variable plant in the size of the heads, length of the involucral bracts, and 
in their being sometimes entire, sometimes pinnatifid. 
4. C. plumosa, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 141.—A large densely 
tufted aromatic species, often forming broad soft patches, every- 
where clothed with long villous hairs. Stems short, stout, creeping. 
Leaves on long slender petioles 3-6 in. iong; blade 2-6in., oblong 
in outline, flaccid and membranous, finely 3-4-pinnatifid ; primary 
divisions close-set, linear-oblong, recurved, 2-pinnatifid on the upper 
side; ultimate segments +in. long, linear, toothed on one side. 
Peduncles slender, shorter than the leaves, usually with a linear 
entire or pinnatifid bract about the middle. Head 4~-4in. diam. ; 
involucral bracts in 2 or 3 series, broadly oblong, with broad 
