40 TASMANIAN ON'AGRACEAE. 



In the genus Epilobium we have six fairly well- 

 marked forms, and they show an affinity wit'h those of 

 New Zealand. Four names other than those here 

 adopted appear in standard works, namely, E. tetra- 

 gonum, L.— A European plant that probably docs not 

 occur south of the equator. It was used to denote most 

 of our larger forms before their distinctness from 

 northern types Avas recognised. E. alpinum, L. — Some 

 of our alpine forms appear identical wit'h this, but it 

 may be a coincidence, the two diverge materially in their 

 common habitats. The typical form of E. glabellum, 

 Forster, has not yet been gathered in Tasmania, though 

 the name has been made much use in describing our 

 forms. In the Flora Novae Zelandiae Hooker described 

 a plant as E. tenuipes. He also grouped under the name 

 two of our closely-allied plants, but tihe typical New 

 Zealander does not appear to grow here. Our six species 

 as here treated are:— 



Ep. pallidiflorum, Sol. 

 Ep. Billardierianum, Ser. 

 Ep. junceum, Sol. 

 Ep. Gunnianum, Haussk. 

 Ep. confertifolitmi. Hook, f. 

 Ep. Tasmanicum, Flaussk. 



Our E. pallidiflorum conforms to the New Zealand 

 type except that its flowers are pink, turning purple when 

 dried, instead of white. E. Billardierianum is one of our 

 commonest forms. It appears at nearly all altitudes, and 

 varies somewhat, but it is the only form wdiose leaf is 

 margined with numerous acute, irregular teeth. In the 

 Flora Hooker fig-ured our large fl-owered mountain plant 

 as this, but even if he wished to include it he was in 

 error figuring it as the type. E. junceum is our common 

 form in lowland pastures and dr}- places, leaving the 

 swamps to the last two. It has the same pale colour, 

 due to woolly hairs, that marks the New Zealand plant. 

 E. Gunnianum is the name given by Professor Haussk- 

 necht to the large floweret plant figured by Hooker. It 

 is not a purely alpine species, and when it descends the 

 flowers become reduced, but never as muoh so as in E. 

 junceum, though it much resembles the latter in the 

 leaves, which are bordered by few, remote, rather blunt 

 serrations. E. confertifolium is essentially a plant of 



