326 



SUPPLEMENTTJM PL0RJ1 NOV^i-ZELANDLE. 



subsimplicibus v. pluries dichotome ramosis suberectis, foliis rigidis subulatis vix acutis, pedicellis axillan- 

 bus, floriferis erectis gracilibus foliis longioribus, fructiferis divergentibus, calyce tubuloso basi angustato 

 breviter 5-dentato membranaceo costis 5 hcrbaceis, petalis linearibus retusis v. bifidis calyce duplo longiori- 

 bus, capsular apice 5-valvi, valvis exsertis, seminibus transverse rugosis grosse impresso-punctatis pallide 

 brunneis. — Boiss. Biagn. Plant. Orient. 



Hab. Northern Island : East coast, Hawkes' Bay, etc., Colenso. 



This curious little plant has repeatedly been a subject of study by me. On first receiving a small specimen 

 from Colenso, I was inclined to suppose that it was an escape from some garden, or was introduced in some manner 

 into the island. I have, however, since then, not only received it repeatedly from Colenso, but also find it in Drum- 

 mood's West Australian collection. Originally the plant was brought from Carte, and from the Meander Ewer and 

 Adramyttian Gulf, near Troy, where no doubt it is indigenous, and whether also in the southern continent must be 

 the subject of future investigation. Meanwhile, there is no doubt of the specific identity of the New Zealand and 

 • Levant plants.— The genus Gypsophila, which is a large European and Oriental one, may be recognized by its tu- 

 bular calyx from the other New Zealand Caryophyllea. The present species is a little, stiff, erect, wiry, pubescent 

 or hispid plant, 2-4 inches high, diehotomously branched, with subulate leaves and insignificant flowers on slen- 

 der pedicels, and with narrow rose-coloured petals. 

 (Page 26.) Tor 4. Stellaria sp.? insert — ■ 



4. Stellaria graciknta, Hook, fil.; gracilis, nodosa, oaulibus rigidis teretibus filiformibus puberulis, 

 foliis parvis fasciculatis internodiis brevioribus subulatis glabris dorso (ob margines ad costam recurvas) 

 canaliculatis, pedunculis solitariis terminalibus elongatis 1-2-fIoris medio bibracteolatis, sepalis oblongis 

 acutis 3-nerviis, petalis bipartitis, capsulae valvis sepalis longioribus. 

 Hab. Middle Island : Nelson, Bidwill. Manuka Island, Monro. 



A remarkably distinct species, of which I had very indifferent specimens, noticed in the body of this work as 

 being in fruit only, and which I consequently thought it unadvisable to name. Since then Dr. Monro has sent 

 small specimens in flower, but not a full enough series of them to enable me to describe its characters as broadly as 

 is desirable. It is allied to the Tasmanian T. angustifolia, but has much more rigid wiry stems, smaller leaves, and 

 all the nodes are proliferous, having very short leafy branches, which give the stem the appearance of bearing 

 tufts of leaves along its whole length..— Stems very slender, 2-6 inches long, terete, pubescent. Leaves in pairs, 

 about | inch asunder, each, pair with an abbreviated branch in their axil, perfectly glabrous, subulate, rigid, 

 curved, the margins revolute to the midrib. Mowers on long, slender, erect, terminal peduncles, that bear two 

 minute bracts about the middle, about i inch in diameter. Sepals linear-oblong, acute, three-nerved, with broad 

 searious margins. Petals two, eleft to the base, half longer than the sepals. Stamens ten, inserted in a five-lobed 

 fleshy disc. Ovary broadly ovoid. Styles three. Capsule six-cleft ; valves short, blunt, protruded beyond the sepals. 

 (Page 31.) Hoheria Lyallii, Hook. fil. 



Asa Gray, in the 'Botany of the U.S. Exploring Expedition,' p. 180, points out an important error in plate 

 xi., figs. 4-6, where the radicle is wrongly represented as superior and dorsal in reference to the carpel. Dr. Gray 

 further considers that this plant should be removed from Hoheria and referred to Plagianthus, along with, two Tas- 

 manian species of Sida (S. pulcliella and S. Tasmanica), these plants only differing from one another generically in 

 the number of carpels, which are reduced to one in PI. sidoides. Dr. Gray further remarks that the stigmas of II. 

 populnea are terminal, those of H. Lyallii introrse and terminal. The latter plant will henceforth, if this opinion be 

 confirmed, bear the name of Plagianthus Lyallii, Asa Gray (Bot. U.S. Expl. Exped. 1. c). 



(Page 35.) Pennantia Endlicheri, Peiss, which has been mentioned as a New Zealand plant, is not 

 so, but a native of Norfolk Island. 



(Page 36.) Hypericum gramineum, Porst. 



