The leading Physiognomie Plants. — Salt-swamp plants. 51 
at times, growing erect and branching may form a trunk 20 cm high. The 
leaves are represented by short, blackish, sheathing scales which clasping the 
. terete stem at distances of 2.5—ıo cm give it a characteristic appearance. 
The roots are wiry and of medium length. The flowers are dioecious; the 
male inflorescence is paniculate with numerous reddish-brown spikelets, while the 
female is compacted into rounded glomerules alternating along the stem. 
L. simplex is endemic and common along the coast in all parts except 
the Kermadec and Subantarctic botanical provinces. It occurs inland near 
hot springs on the Volcanic Plateau, as also on the shores of Lake Mana- 
pouri and along the route of the ancient strait in Stewart Island. 
b. Juncus 'maritimus Lam. var. australiensis Buchen. (Funcac.). 
This plant, of the ordinary rush-form, makes dense tussocks about go cm 
high and 50o cm in diam. at the base. The dark-green, glossy terete stems and 
leaves taper gradually to a pungent but frequentiy dead brown point. 
The same variety occurs in Australia, In New Zealand, it is common 
on the coast from the N. of Auckland to South Canterbury. Inland, it grows - 
near certain hot springs on the Volcanic Plateau. 
c. Plagianthus divarıcatus Forst. (Malvac.). 
P. divarıcatus is a dark-coloured almost deciduous shrub of the divaric- 
ating growth-form... There is a stout main stem 5.7 cm in diam. which gives 
off several branches passing upwards and outwards, finally branching abun- 
dantly into short, wiry twigs given off at a wide angle and closely interlacing; 
the whole forms a dense, compact, elastic, rounded mass, a flat mat or even an 
open cushion. According to the degree of exposure to wind, the periphery may 
be wiry and close or twiggy and open. The naked interior stems are 3 cm 
thick or more, twisted, curved and liane-like in appearance. The leaves on 
much-reduced branchlets, are very small, linear to linear-obovate, 7 mm long 
and slightly coriaceous. The flowers are very small, pale yellow or whitish 
edged with purple, honey-scented and produced from September to October. 
According to CHEESEMAN (1906: 76) they are generally unisexual, but Miss 
CROSS (1910: 553) states they are hermaphrodite but strongly protandrous. 
The roots are long, stout and descend deeply or spread laterally. 
he species is endemic and occurs in all the botanical provinces except 
the Kermadec and Subantarctic. 
d. Avicennia officinalis L. (Verbenac.) Manawa, Mangrove. 
A. officinalis is a shrub or small tree varying in height from 60: cm to 
9 m, or even more. Asa tree, it has a stout, but usually short, main trunk 
from which a few short primary branches pass off, spreading outwards and 
branching some 4 or 5 times so as to form a 'round-headed fairly dense 
crown. The bark is en grey and much furrowed. | ultimate and su 
ultimate twigs are brittle, Sr much ved and 
