Plantago.| PLANTAGINER. 573 
merous, all radical, spreading, forming flat rosettes 1-3 in. across, 
4-2 in. long, linear or lanceolate, acute, narrowed into broad flat 
petioles, entire or more usually sinuate-dentate or pinnatifid, rather 
thick or almost membranous, more or less pubescent with jointed 
hairs on the upper surface, the hairs sometimes arranged in trans- 
verse bands across the leaf, under-surface usually glabrous. Scapes 
very short in the flowering stage, concealed amongst the wool at 
the base of the leaves, often but not always elongating in fruit and 
attaining half the length of the leaves or even more, 1- or very 
rarely 2-flowered. Bract minute, ovate, obtuse. Calyx-segments 
3 or 4, ovate, obtuse, very small, many times less than the ovary. 
Corolla-tube elongated, twice the length of the ovary, limb with 
38 or 4 linear-oblong acute lobes. Stamens usually 3, some- 
times 4. Capsule oblong, obtuse. Seeds numerous, angled, 20-30. 
—P. Hamiltoni, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xi. (1879) 465. 
SoutH Isnanp, Stewart Isuanp: Margins of lakes and wet ground from 
Westport and Malborough southwards, not uncommon. Sea-level to 3500 ft. 
A very curious little plant. It varies considerably in the amount of the 
silky wool at the base of the leaves and in the hairiness of the leaves themselves, 
lowland specimens being often nearly glabrous. The length of the fruiting- 
scape is a very uncertain character ; on the same plant it may either elongate or 
remain unaltered. 
7. P. uniflora, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 207.—‘* Stems short, 
stout, +in. high, tufted (?), villous at the crown. Leaves few, 
4-14 in. long, narrow-lanceolate, sinuate-toothed or quite entire, 
glabrous, villous at the base; nerve 1, obscure. Scape slender, as 
long as the leaves, 1-flowered, hairy. Sepals linear-oblong, acute, 
longer than the lower half of the capsule.’’—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 227. 
NortH Isnanp: Top of the Ruahine Range, Colenso. ‘‘ Very near to 
P. Brownti, of which it may be a variety, but the leaves are narrower, scapes 
more slender, flowers solitary, and sepals narrower and more acute. My speci- 
mens are indifferent and past flower.”’ 
I have quoted Hooker’s description and remarks, the plant not having been 
observed since its first discovery. It is probably nearer to P. triandra than to 
P. Brownii, but the calyx-segments are apparently different. 
Orper LXI. NYCTAGINEA.. 
Herbs or shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite or less frequently 
alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate. Flowers hermaphrodite or 
unisexual, often involucrate, usualiy arranged in cymose panicles. 
Perianth inferior, petaloid, monophyllous; tube persistent and 
enveloping the fruit; limb with 3-5-plicate lobes. Stamens vari- 
able in number (1-30), usually 6-10, hypogynous ; filaments often 
unequal, inflexed in bud; anthers didymous. Ovary superior, 
1-celled ; style simple, terminal; stigma small, entire or multifid ; 
