708 LILIACE. [Cordyline. 
Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. vi. (1874) 245. C. Hectori, Col. in Trans. 
N.Z. Inst. xxv. (1893) 334. Dracena indivisa, Forst. Prodr. 
n. 150; ‘Pl. Hscul. n. 338; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 148; A. Cina: 
Precur. n. 301. 
NorrH Istanp: Mountain districts from the Thames goldfields and Te 
Aroha southwards. SourH Isuanp: Along the western side from Collingwood 
and Westport to Dusky Sound. 1500-4000 ft. Tow. December-January. 
By far the finest species of the genus. I have followed Sir J. D. Hooker in 
considering the plant common in subalpine localities in the North Island and 
north-west portion of the South Island to be the same as Forster’s Dracena 
indivisa, originally gathered in Dusky Sound. Most New Zealand botanists, 
however, treat the two forms as distinct, apparently on the ground of the sup- 
posed larger and longer flowers of the southern plant. But, so far as 1 am 
aware, flowering specimens of Forster’s plant do not exist in any New Zealand 
herbarium, and the earlier descriptions are in conflict with one another as to the 
size of the flower. As there is little, if any, difference in habit or foliage, it 
appears to me that the most prudent course is to keep the two plants together 
until a thorough comparison of their characters can be made, 
5. C. pumilio, Hook. f. om Gard. Chron. (1860) 792.—Small, 
usually stemless, but in some varieties with a short slender stem 
1-3 ft. high. Leaves very numerous, densely rosulate, 1-3 ft. long, 
i in. broad, narrow-linear, acuminate, coriaceous; lateral veins 
several, evident, parallel; midrib stout, prominent on both sur- 
faces ; margins often finely scaberulous. Panicles terminal, erect 
or inclined, very slender, laxly branched, 1-3 ft. long; branches 
long, slender, spreading. Flowers irreguiarly scattered along the 
branches, rather remote, shortly pedicelled, small, white or bluish- 
white, +in. diam.; pedicels variable in length.  Perianth-seg- 
ments oblong, obtuse. Berry globose, tin. diam., bluish-white. 
Seeds 1 or 2 in each cell—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 282. C. stricta, 
Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 257, t. 58 (not of Hndl.). 
Nortu Istanp: From the North Cape to Wellington, but rare and local to 
the south of the Kast Cape. Sea-level to 1500 ft. Ti-rawurikt, Novem- 
ber—December. 
A variable plant, but well marked by the small size, usually stemless habit, 
narrow leaves, lax slender panicle, and small flowers. The roots are fleshy and 
saccharine, and were formerly cooked and eaten by the Maoris. 
4, ASTELIA, Banks and Sol. 
Large or small densely tufted perennial herbs. usually more or 
less clothed with silky or chaffy hairs or scales. Leaves numerous, 
linear, all radical or crowded near the base of the stem, with broad 
imbricate sheathing bases. Flowering stem or scape usually long, 
panicled above and many-flowered, rarely short and few-flowered, 
usually densely silky or woolly. Flowers small, dicecious. Perianth 
persistent, 6-partite ; segments subequal, connate at the base into a 
short hemispherical tube or distinct, spreading or reflexed. Male 
flowers: Stamens 6, affixed to the base of the segments ; filaments 
filiform ; anthers oblong or linear-oblong. Rudimentary ovary pre- 
