296 Transactions. — Botany. 



which led Mr. J. B. Armstrong to describe the leaf as having a closed sinus, 

 an error which is at once demonstrated by simply flattening the leaf. As a 

 rule large specimens growing in the open have the upper leaves concave and 

 the lower convex, the texture of those most exposed being almost as thick 

 as in some specimens of Stilbocarpa. Occasionally hairs are developed on 

 both surfaces, but they are always white and soft. 



The foliaceous ligule at the base of each leaf is sometimes largely 

 developed, and usually exhibits a pair of acute lacmiae larger than the 

 others, at first sight presenting the appearance of a pair of ordinary stipules : 

 most frequently all the lacinise are more or less acute and ciliated, but a 

 considerable amount of variation is exhibited in this respect. 



Much variation is shown in the density of the inflorescence ; the umbels 

 are highly compound, usually forming a dense orbicular mass of reddish- 

 purple flowers, often more than a foot in diameter. Frequently the 

 inflorescence is lax and open. The scapes are fistulose, and equal the 

 petioles ; the primary involucral leaves are sometimes 5" or 6" in diameter, 

 on stout petioles, and closely resemble ordinary leaves ; the secondary 

 series is also petioled but greatly reduced in size and modified in form, 

 being trifid, tripartite, or lobulate with a cuneate base ; in the tertiary 

 umbellules they are simply linear. 



In most specimens each of the secondary rays carries a female 

 umbellule, from beneath which a whorl of from two to five male umbellules 

 is given off ; some of these are again branched. Sometimes the apex of a 

 secondary ray terminates in a single abortive flower, when the tertiary rays 

 carry small female umbellules surrounded by male as before. The pedicels 

 of the male flowers are shorter than those of the female. 



In the male flowers the calyx teeth are reduced to points, in the female 

 they are obsolete ; the petals are usually close set, those of the male being 

 slightly longer than the others, both alike are of a lurid reddish-purple. 



Stilbocarpa polaris differs from Aralia lyallii in the stouter texture of the 

 leaves, which are clothed on both surfaces with long bristles, and the petiole 

 is slightly compressed, sometimes exhibiting traces of a groove on the upper 

 surface ; the ligule is usually more deeply laciniated, the laciniaa being orb- 

 tuse and fringed with strong cilia. The petals are broader, obovate-spathu- 

 late, and of a pale yellow colour. The stamens are oblong, with rather 

 shorter filaments, and the styles are recurved. The stylopodia form an 

 interrupted annular disk, and as already shown, the fruit is acetabuliform 

 3-4 celled. It appears to be restricted to the Auckland Islands, Campbell 

 Island, and Macquarrie Island. 



