226 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. | Urticee. 
forme, compressum, ore minimo, achenium amplectens. Stylus elongatus, exsertus.—Herbe Australasiee 
et Novee Zelandie tenelle, puberule ; folis alternis stipulatis v. estipulatis, grosse crenatis dentatisve.—An 
Australina, Gaud.? Anaganthos, Hook. fil. MSS. 
There are two species of this curious little genus, one Tasmanian (4. Tasmanica, MSS.), the other New Zealand. 
The latter forms a slender, prostrate, delicate, membranous herb, 4-8 inches long, pubescent on the stems, petioles, 
and pedicels. Leaves alternate, with subulate stipules and slender petioles as long as the blade (4 inch), which 
is rounded and coarsely bluntly toothed. Flowers moncecious, axillary. Males in the upper axils, two together at the 
apex of a slender peduncle as long as the petiole. Perianth concave, almost bell-shaped, obscurely two-lipped, 
pilose. Stamen solitary. Female solitary, or two to three in the axils of the lower leaves; bracteole very small or 
absent. Perianth compressed, flagon-shaped, having an inflated tube and very small mouth, through which the fili- 
form pubescent stigma protrudes. Nut crustaceous, compressed, brown, smooth, enclosed in the perianth. (Name 
from the original species inhabiting Australia.) 
1. Australina Nove-Zelandie ; caule puberulo, foliis stipulatis longe petiolatis, fl. $ binis, perianthio 
subcampanulato, fl. 9 bracteolis minimis v. 0. 
Haz. Northern Island. Bay of Islands, in dark woods. East coast, Colenso. 
Gen. IV. PARIETARIA, Tourn. 
Flores axillares, fasciculati v. cymosi, polygami, involucrati. Fr. 3. Perianthium 4-5-phyllum. Sta- 
mina totidem. Fr.9. Perianthium tabulosum, ventricosum, 4-fidum. Ovarium liberum, perianthio in- 
clusum. Stigma capitatum, sessile. 
A small genus (of which, however, very many species have been made on very insufficient grounds) of weedy 
plants, found over all the warm and temperate parts of the globe. The New Zealand species abounds in Australia 
and North and South America (where it is called P. Floridana), and in some parts of Europe, under the name of 
P. Lusitanica. It is very nearly allied to, and perhaps only a variety of, the original European P. officinalis of 
Linnzus, with fewer flowers.—4A very weak, trailing (rarely erect and stiff), pubescent or glabrous herb. Stems 
8-12 inches long. Leaves membranous, alternate, exstipulate, petiolate, ovate, blunt, quite entire, 3-13 inches 
long. Flowers polygamous, pilose, inconspicuous, green, clustered in the axils of the leaves, surrounded by a 
two- to four-leaved involucre, composed of connate braeteole. Zavolucres one- to three-flowered. Male flowers 
with a four-leaved perianth and four stamens; female with a tubular or urceolate four-cleft perianth. Achenium 
turgid, with a small capitate sessile stigma. (Named from paries, a wall; in allusion to the species frequenting old 
walls.) 
1. Parietaria debilis, Forst. ; floribus paucis axillaribus subsessilibus, involucris 2—4-foliolatis 1-8-floris. 
Has. Common throughout the Islands, Banks and Solander, ete. (Native of England.) 
Gen. V. ELATOSTEMMA, Forst. 
Flores monoici, rarius dioici, in capitulis sexu distinctis involucrati receptaculo subcarnoso inserti, 
bracteolati. Fr.d. Perianthium 4-5-partitum. Stamina 4-5. Fr. 9. Perianthium 2—4-phyllum v. rudi- 
mentarium. Stigma sessile, laciniatum. 
The only New Zealand species is a succulent, prostrate or suberect, hoary, watery herb, with a curved, ascend- 
ing, thick, fleshy stem, 1-2 feet high, branched at the base. Leaves 4-10 inches long, alternate, sessile, elongate, 
lanceolate or obovate-lanceolate, acuminate, curved; base auriculate, half-clasping the stem on one side; margins 
deeply toothed, puberulous, rugose. Stipules deciduous, membranous, lanceolate. Receptacles discoid, moncecious. 
Male capitula 4 inch broad, rather fleshy, surrounded by imbricating broad connate pilose or glabrous leaflets, axillary, 
solitary or binate, sessile or shortly pedunculate. Flowers small, pedicellate, hidden among the large membranous 
