34 



III. CEUCIFEEAE. 



[Senebiera. 



*S. didyma, Persoon, Syn. ii. 185. Annual. Stems weak, suberect, diffuse, 

 sparingly hairy. Leaves more deeply divided than in the preceding species, 2-pin- 

 natifid, lobes narrow. Flowers small, in slender racemes. Pods didymous, lobes 

 separating, valves wrinkled. 



NORTH and SOUTH lalancls ; STEWABT Island : Abundantly naturalised in waste places, 

 especially near the sea. Dec. to Feb. Southern parts of South America. 



6. LEPIDIUM, Linn. 



Sepals shortj equal at the ba.se. Petals short or rarely 0. Stamens 2, ^, 

 or 6. Pod ovatC;, obovate, obcordate, or rarely orbicular, laterally compressed ; 

 septum narrow ; valves keeled or winged ; style short or ; stigma notched. 

 Seeds 1 in each cell. Cotyledons incumbent in the New Zealand species. Erect 

 or spreading rarely suffruticose herbs^ annual or perennial. Plowers rarely 

 unisexual. 



Etym. Prom the Greek, in reference to the scale-like form of the pods. 



Species, about 85. Distributed through temperate and warm regions. All the indigenous 

 species are endemic, but several exotic species have become naturalised. 



Erect. 



* Stems leafy. 

 Leaves entire, serrate or incised . . 



Pods entire. 



** Stems leafy. Pods ema/rginate. 

 Prostrate. Leaves entire, orenate or incised 

 Suberect, flexuous. Leaves incised. Pods cordate 

 Suberect. Leaves pinnatifid. Racemes lateral 

 Erect, strict, pubescent. Oauline leaves clasping . 

 Erect or suberect. Styles exceeding the notch 

 Erect, strict. Leaves pinnate or pinnatifid, pilose, dioecious 

 Erect, spreading. Leaves pinnate ^ leaflets pinnatifid 

 Erect. Lower leaves 2-pinnatifid ; segments linear 

 Erect. Lower leaves lobed, pinnate or 2-pinnate . . 



*** Leaves chiefly radical. Steins short. Oauline leaves few 

 Small, glabrous. Leaves entire. Stems filiform . . 

 Leaves rosulate, hairy, pubescent. Scapes suberect, dioecious 

 Leaves rosulate, pubescent. Stems weak. Pods orbicular . . 



1. L. oleraceum. 



2. L. ohtusatum. 



3. L. Forsteri. 

 i. L. fiexicaule. 



* L. campestre. 



* L. Smithii. 



5. L. Matau. 



6. L. Kawarau. 



* L. ruderale. 



* L. sativum, 

 or 0. 



. 7. L. Kirkii. 



8. L. sisymbrioides. 



9. Tj. tenuicaule. 



1. L. oleraceum, G. Forst., Prod. n. 248. Glabrous, erect or suberect, 

 stout or slender. Stems sometimes as thick as the finger, often suffruticose. 

 Leaves elliptic -oblong or broadly cuneate-oblong, narrowed into a winged 

 petiole, serrate or incised. Flowers in terminal simple or branched racemes 

 2in.-4in. long, usually numerous and subcorymbose. Pedicels slender, spread- 

 ing. Stamens 4. Pods ovate, subacute, wingless, entire ; style slender. PI. 



Esc. 38 ; DC, Syst. Veg. ii. 547 ; A. Rich., Fl. 310 ; Willd., Sp. PI. iii.' 437 j 

 A. Cunn., Precurs. n. 628 ; Hook, f., Fl. N.Z. i. 15, and Handbk. 14 ; T Kirk 

 in Trans. N.Z.I, xiv. (1881) 379. 



Cook's scurvy-grass. Nov. to Feb. 



Var. frondosum, (sp.). Banks and Sol., MSS. and Ic. Robust, leaves large, fleshy broadlv 

 cuneate-oblong or oblong, sometimes 3in.-5m. long and lin. wide, sessile or narrowed into 'a broad 

 petiole, serrate. 



