254 Transactions, — Botany. 



recurved portion of their petals purplish. Like those of the preceding 

 species, they are crowded chiefly along the under-sides of the branches, but 

 are even more hidden by the foliage. They are sweet-scented, and contain 

 abundant nectar. 



Nat. Ord. Pittospore^. 



About twelve species of Fittosponwi occur in New Zealand, and two of 

 these are common in the east of Otago. 



P. tenuifoUmn, belonging to the section of the genus having solitary 

 flowers, is a very handsome little tree. Its flowers are a good deal hidden 

 by the foliage, but are tolerably conspicuous, the petals being bright purple 

 when first expanded, and gradually deepening in colour as they begin to 

 wither. As soon as the flower opens the stigma is seen to be viscid, and it 

 remains so long after the pollen is shed. The base of the ovary is hairy, 

 and between it and the fllaments small beads of honey are secreted. The 

 object of the hairs is probably to prevent any insects reaching the honey 

 except those which are furnished with a proboscis. The pollen is very 

 coherent, and not easily shaken from the anthers. The flowers have no 

 perceptible fragrance. 



P. eugenioides, according to Hooker, is more or less dioecious, though the 

 numerous specimens I have examined were invariably hermaphrodite. The 

 flowers are produced in large corymbs, which are very conspicuous, and they 

 are extremely fragrant, and secrete a quantity of honey between the bases of 

 the ovary and filaments. In many cases, when opening, the anthers are found 

 dehiscing almost on the viscid stigma, to which some of the pollen-grains 

 adhere. In this way probably the flowers are often fertiUzed, while their 

 attractions to insects are so numerous as almost to ensure cross-fertilization. 



Nat. Ord. CARYOPHYLLEiE. 



The order is represented by four genera — Gyjisophila, SteUaria, Colobanthiis, 

 and Spergularia. Our species are probably all self-fertilized, the only doubtful 

 one being SteUaria roughii, a mountain form with large green flowers. The 

 others have small, and, in some cases (Colobanthiis ) , perfectly inconspicuous 

 flowers, destitute of colour, scent, or honey. 



Nat. Ord. Poetulace^. 



Claytonia australasica has small, white flowers, which are, however, 

 relatively very large when compared with the size of the whole plant. They 

 are tolerably conspicuous, have a little honey at their base, and are dis- 

 tinctly proterandrous, the divisions of the style being stigmatic on their inner 

 faces only, and these remaining closed until the pollen is scattered. 

 Nat. Ord. Hypericine^. 



Two species of Hypericum are found in New Zealand, and both occur in 

 Otago, 



