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er Oe TRE SN eM eT 
Malvacee. | FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 29 
Allan Cunningham doubts this plant being indigenous, which Mr. Colenso does not; and I have given it the 
benefit of the doubt. Time will afford sufficient evidence, for if introduced it has already spread so rapidly that it 
will soon be over all the warm parts of the Northern Island. It may easily be recognized by its beautiful large 
yellow flowers, with a deep purple eye; it forms a hispid, almost shrubby stem, a foot or two high; with variously 
cut or lobed deaves, which are almost smooth. 
Gen. II. PLAGIANTHUS, Forst. 
Flores polygamo-dioici v. hermaphroditi? Calyx campanulatus, 5-lobus, lobis valvatis. Petala 5, basi 
in tubum coalita. Stamina 00; filamentis in tubum (tubo corollee continuum) coalitis, superne pentadelphis 
v. liberis; antheris 1-locularibus, bilobis, rima longitudinali centrali dehiscentibus. Ovarium l- rarius 2-3- 
loculare; loculis l-ovulatis; stylo erecto; stigmatibus 2-3, brevibus, obtusis. Capsula 1-8-cocca, irregu- 
lariter dehiscens; coccis l-spermis. Semen pendulum, embryone curvato.  Asterotrichion, Klotzsch. Ble- 
pharanthemum, Zndl. 
Shrubs, with a very tough bark, more or less covered with stellate pubescence. Leaves alternate or fascicled, with 
caducous stipules, variable in form, both as relates to the genus and individual species. Flowers axillary, solitary, 
fascicled or paniculate; usually small, white. Calyx broadly campanulate or almost tubular, with five valvate lobes. 
Corolla membranous. Petals five, obliquely obovate or linear, united into a short tube, which bears that of the sta- 
mens. Staminal tube long or short; the filaments sometimes combined throughout their length, at others obscurely 
united into five fasciculi. Anthers numerous in the male flowers, one-celled, two-lobed, the valves meeting and 
splitting down the middle, each rolling back. Ovary generally one-celled, with a straight style, and one to three 
stigmata, sometimes two- rarely three-celled. Capsule turgid, one- to three-celled, or of as many one-seeded -cocci ; 
bursting irregularly or longitudinally on one side. —This appears to be a very natural genus, and well defined by 
its fruit; it consists of New Holland, Tasmanian, and New Zealand plants, and is allied to Sida, through 8. pulchella. 
The characters of Plagianthus, Blepharanthemum, and Asterotrichion of Endlicher and Klotzsch, are more or less in- 
complete and inaccurate, the figures in Bot. Mag. t. 3271, 3396, being quite accurate, as is Allan Cunningham’s cha- 
racter, except that the flowers are not usually hermaphrodite. (Name from mAayuos, oblique, because of the gene- 
rally unequal-sided petals.) 
1. Plagianthus de¢udinus, A. Cunn. ; arboreus, hermaphrodito-dioicus, ramulis foliisque stellato-pubes- 
centibus, foliis gracile, petiolatis membranaceis ovatis acuminatis rhombeisve (junioribus forma variis) irre- 
gulariter et obtuse duplicato-serratis interdum obscure lobatis basi acutis v. obtusis, paniculis axillaribus 
multifloris folio longioribus fructiferis effusis, floribus parvis, calyce hemispheerico, petalis lineari-oblongis 
anguste linearibusve, tubo stamineo d'elongato, capsula ovato-rotundata cana calyce coriaceo persistente 
suffulta, rima laterali dehiscente 1-sperma. P. betulinus e£ P. urticinus, A. Cunn. Prodr. 
Has. Northern and Middle Islands; not uncommon. Bay of Islands, 4. Cunningham, etc. East 
Coast, Colenso. Akaroa, Raoul. (Cultivated in England.) 
A lofty tree, 70 fect when full grown (according to A. Cunningham); also commonly forming a very straggling 
bush, with variously cut membranous leaves, more or less lobed or toothed, and cordate at the base. Bark rich dark 
brown, very tough. Leaves and branchlets more or less densely covered with stellate hairs. Petioles very slender, 
3-2 inch long. Leaves 1-2 inches long, ovate, blunt or sharp at the base, coarsely doubly serrate or crenate. Panicles 
many-flowered, 3-6 inches long, effuse, pubescent. Flowers small, white. Petals variable in shape, narrower in 
the male flowers, which have longer staminal tubes and included styles (P. urticinus, A.Cunn.). Capsule globose, 
with a pointed top, seated in the persistent coriaceous veined calyx, 1-2 lines long, white with appressed hairs; one- 
seeded. Seed oily, red-brown, with undulated cotyledons. 
2. Plagianthus divaricatus, Forst.; frutex glaberrimus, vage divaricatim ramosus, foliis sparsis fascicu- 
G 
