Onagrarie. FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 57 
g 
A tree 16-30 feet high, with a papery deciduous cuticle to the bark. Leaves on slender petioles, very variable 
in length; ovate or lanceolate, much acuminate, membranous, 2—4 inches long, remotely and obscurely toothed, 
quite white and almost silvery below. Flowers 3-1 inch long, solitary, axillary, on slender peduncles, which are 
usually shorter than the petioles, of a dingy purple colour. Tube of the calyx inflated and campanulate above 
the ovary, with four linear-lanceolate or ovate acuminate lobes. Petals very small, convolute. Stigma capitate.— 
The berries 4 inch long, and blue-purple; they are sweet and eaten. The stamens vary much in length, being 
sometimes quite included. 
2. Fuchsia procumbens, R. Cunn. ; caule gracili procumbente ramoso, ramis ascendentibus, foliis longe 
petiolatis ovato-cordatis rotundatisve sinuato-dentatis integerrimisve obtusis acutisve, floribus apetalis. 
A. Cunn. Prodr. Hook. Ic. Plant. t. 421. 
Has. Northern and Middle Islands; east coast, on the sand of the sea-beach, A. Cunningham, 
Colenso. Port Cooper, Zyall. Nat. name, “Totera,” Cunn. 
A much smaller plant than the preceding, with slender woody prostrate stem, and few ascending branches. 
Petioles very slender, as long or longer than the leaf, 4-1 inch long. Leaves smaller, rounder and broader than in 
the preceding, usually blunt, paler but hardly white beneath. Flowers smaller than in F. ewcorticata, with a 
broader calyx-tube, and no petals.—Mr. Colenso has noticed this species becoming elongated amongst bushes, ete., 
and having stems 6 feet long. 
Gen. II. EPILOBIUM, £. 
Calycis tubus linearis, 4-gonus, ovario adnatus; limbus 4-sepalus, deciduus. Petala 4. Stamina 8. 
Ovarium 4-loculare; stylo elongato; stigmate clavato. Capsula linearis, 4-gona, 4-locularis, 4-valvis, 
polysperma ; valvis membranaceis. Semina papposa. 
A large genus, universally diffused throughout the temperate regions of the globe, whose species are everywhere 
extremely variable and difficult to distinguish. Tt forms a larger proportion of the Flora in New Zealand than in any 
other country ; the species abounding at all elevations, and constantly enlarging their range by means of their light 
feathery seeds. —Herös with perennial roots, creeping or upright, smooth or pubescent, divided or simple stems, and 
opposite or alternate, sessile or petioled leaves. Flowers axillary and solitary, on long or short pedicels, or spiked, or 
panicled. Calyx-tube surrounding a long four-sided ovary; limb of four deciduous sepals. Petals four, rose- 
coloured, white, or purple. Stamens eight. Style long, with a clavate stigma, entire and oblique in all the New 
Zealand species. Capsule very long and slender, splitting into four narrow linear valves, and emitting many feathery 
seeds. Peduncles erect in flower, often pendulous in young fruit and again erect, always very variable in length — 
I have carefully studied all the southern forms of Epilobia on several occasions, and must own that I know no good 
limits between the majority of the species; especially of the New Zealanders. Mr. Cunningham’s specimens have all 
been studied : they are very insufficient, and often mere tips of branches. I have seen or possess Forster’s original 
specimens of 2. junceum, rotundifolium, and glabellum, which include many others. I would advise the student not 
to attempt naming species without copious suites of specimens, they vary so extremely. Many of the species are 
very similar to English ones, but I have not ventured to unite any except F. tetragonum. Small states of Æ. gla- 
bellum and E. tenuipes closely resemble E. alpinum ; E. pubens the E. roseum; states of F. junceum the E. palustre 
and parviflorum; of E. Billardieri resemble 2. montanum, E. origanifolium, E. alsinifolium (a plant so named in 
Herb. Hook.). The general aspect of the New Zealand plants differs in all these cases from what prevails in the 
European, but considerable differences are to be expected amongst specimens of widely-diffused plants coming 
from dissimilar climates. (Name from em, upon, and Aoßos, a pod, from the position of the flower.) 
$ a. Stems creeping. Peduncles truly axillary and erect. Leaves opposite. 
1. Epilobium nummularifolium, Cunn.; pusillum, caule repente radicante bifariam pubescente v. gla- 
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