Pimelea. | THYMELHACHER. 609 
1. P. longifolia, Banks and Sol. ex Wikstr. in Vet. Akad. 
Handl. Stockh. (1818) 280.—A small erect much-branched shrub 
2-5 ft. high, perfectly glabrous except the inflorescence and some- 
times a minute tuft of hairs at the tips of the young leaves; bark 
dark reddish-brown. Leaves crowded, opposite, spreading or sub- 
erect, 1-3in. long, }-2in. broad, oblong- or elliptic-lanceolate to 
lanceolate, acute or acuminate, narrowed into a very short petiole, 
coriaceous, flat, smooth, midrib and lateral veins distinct beneath ; 
floral leaves similar or slightly broader. Flowers in compact 
many - flowered heads terminating the branches, sessile, sweet- 
scented, white or white tinged with rose, polygamo - dicecious. 
Receptacle villous. Perianth densely silky - villous; males the 
largest, 4—2in. long, with exserted anthers on slender filaments 
and a rather short style with small capitate stigma. Females 
smaller and narrower; anthers smaller, on short filaments, usually 
without pollen; style longer, with a larger capitate and papillose 
stigma. Fruit dry with a membranous epicarp, included in the 
swollen base of the perianth.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel.i. 220; Handb. 
N.Z. Fl. 242; Benth. Fi. Austral. vi. 7. Passerina longifolia, 
Thunb. Mus. Nat. Acad. Upsal. xiii. 106. 
Var. lanceolata. — Leaves narrower, 1-2in. long, 4-+in. broad, linear- 
lanceolate. Flowers smaller.—P. lanceolata, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii. 
(1890) 483 (male). BP. similis, Col. l.c. (female). P. angulata, Col. i.c. xviii. 
(1886) 265 (a form with occasionally 3 or 4 stamens). 
NorrH IsnAnp: Not uncommon throughout. SourH Isuanp: Nelson— 
From Collingwood southwards to Westport. Sea-level to 3000 ft. Taranga. 
October-December. 
2. P. Gnidia, Willd. Sp. Plant. i. 50.—A stout erect much- 
branched shrub 1-5 ft. high, glabrous except the inflorescence and 
sometimes a tuft of silky hairs in the axils of the leaves; bark 
dark reddish-brown. Leaves close-set, opposite, shortly petioled, 
4-in. long, oblong or oblong-lanceolate or linear-oblong, usually 
acute at both ends, rigid and coriaceous, often slightly keeled by 
the prominent midrib, veinless, margins usually slightly thickened ; 
floral similar or rather broader. Flowers in compact many- 
flowered heads terminating the branches, sessile, white or pale- 
rose, polygamo-diccious. Perianth densely silky-villous, 4—4 in. 
long. Anthers exserted. Style slender; stigma capitate, exserted. 
Fruit dry.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 171; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 348 ; 
Raoul, Choiz, 42; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 221; Handb. N.Z. 
Fl. 248. Banksia Gnidia, Forst. Char. Gen. 8, t. 4. Passerina 
Gnidia, Forst. Prodr.n. 170. Cookia Gnidia, Gmel. Syst. i. 24. 
Var. pulchella.—Robust. Leaves larger, 3-lin. long, elliptic-lanceolate 
or linear-obovate, acute or obtuse, not keeled, lateral veins often evident. Heads 
larger with more numerous flowers. Flowers almost as large as those of 
P. longifolia. Intermediate between P. Gnidia and P. longifolia, and with 
equal claims to be referred to either species. 
20—FI. 
