388 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Genus Rhabdothamnus. 



A slender, twiggy shrub, 2 ft. -6 ft. high, with opposite leaves, and pretty 

 yellow and red striped flowers. Sepals 5 ; corolla bell-shaped, 2-lipped. Upper 

 lip 2-lobed, under 3-lobed. Stamens 5, one rudimentary. Anthers combined. 

 Ovary 1-celled ; ovules numerous. Capsule 2-valved ; seeds minute. (Name 

 from the Greek, signifying a twiggy shrub). 1 sp. 



Rhabdothamnus Solandri (Solander's Rhabdothamnus). 



Stem hairy. Leaves round or broadly oblong, f in.- lin. across, toothed, 

 rough, membranous. Flowers terminal or axillary ; corolla in. long, 

 orange-red. North Island : as far South as Wellington. PL Oct. -Nov. 



This is the only New Zealand representative of the large 

 tropical family Gesneriaceae. Mr. Petrie has recently" studied 

 the pollination of the flower, which presents various points of 

 interest. It seems probable that it will have to be added 

 to our list of bird-pollinated species, which is already 

 comparatively long. 



Lentibulariaceae. 



THE BUTTEBWOKT FAMILY. 



Distribution. A widely-dispersed family, of which the two principal genera 

 are Pinguicula and Utricularia. The leaves of plants of the former genus contain 

 a principle which will render milk solid without forming whey, hence the name 

 Butterwort. 



Genus Utricularia. 



Herbs usually aquatic and floating, with no true roots; the root stock 

 giving off long, root-like capillary branches. Calyx 2-partite ; corolla 2-lipped ; 

 stamens 2, capsule 2-valved. Flowers yellow, white, or purple. Name from the 

 Latin, meaning a little bladder, in reference to the small spherical traps with 

 which the plants are provided, for the purpose of catching insects, etc. 6 sp. 



Few plants, surely, can show a more complete series of 

 adaptations to their environment than these. The bladders 

 float the flower to the surface of the pond, so that pollination 



"Trans. XXXV., p. 321. 



