Freycinetia. | PANDANACEAE, 123 
1, F. Banksii A. Cunn. Precur. (1836) n. 320.—A lofty climber, often 
reaching the tops of tall trees, or scrambling over rocks or prostrate trunks ; 
branches many, stout, rooting. Leaves numerous towards the tips of the 
branches, 14-3 ft. long, 4-lin. broad, linear-elongate, finely acuminate, 
broadly sheathing at the base, concave, coriaceous, nerved, margins and 
midrib minutely spinulose-serrate. Spadices fascicled at the tips of the 
branches, cylindrical, peduncled, 3-6in. long, dioecious; bracts numerous, 
leafy, the innermost with white or pale-lilac thick and succulent bases. 
Filaments rather long, filiform, Ovaries very densely packed, about 4 in. 
long, rather fleshy in fruit. Seeds small, linear-oblong; testa cellular — 
Raoul Chore (1846) 41; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 237, t. 54, 55; 
Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 275; Bot. Mag. t. 6028; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. FI. 
(1906) 741. 
North Istanp: Abundant in forests from the North Cape to the East Cape and 
Taranaki, less plentiful from thence southwards to Wellington. SourH ISLAND: 
Lowland districts in Nelson and Marlborough, and along the West Coast from Colling- 
wood to Okarito and Milford Sound, not common. Sea-level to 2500 ft. Kiekie ; 
Tawhara (the edible bracts); Uvrewre (the fruit). September—November ; ripe fruit 
in May. 
The leaves are occasionally plaited into kits or baskets by the Maoris. The white 
fleshy bracts surrounding the spadices are sweet and sugary, with an aromatic flavour, 
and are often eaten; the fruit less commonly so. I have seen no description of 
F. inclinans Benn, Pl. Jav. Rar. i, 32, said to be found in New Zealand. It is not generally 
known that when growing near a plentiful supply of water Freycinetia puts out 
numerous “ floating roots.” These are sometimes several feet in length, and are 
excessively branched, the ultimate divisions being filiform. They are regularly girdled 
with conspicuous spongy or corky whitish rings, which give the roots a very remarkable 
appearance. It is hoped that their structure and use will shortly be investigated. 
Family X. SPARGANIACEAE, 
Marsh or water plants with creeping rhizomes. Stems simple or branched, 
erect or floating. Leaves usually crowded at the base of the stems, linear, 
sheathing at the base. Flowers monoecious, crowded in distant globose 
heads towards the summit of the stem and its branches, the lower heads 
female, the upper male. Perianth of 3-8 irregular chaffy scales. Male 
flowers: Stamens 3-4, rarely more; their filaments distinct; anthers 
oblong, dehiseing longitudinally. Female flowers: Ovary ovoid or oblong, 
sessile or nearly so, 1—2-celled, produced into i-2 long or short styles ; 
stigma unilateral; ovule solitary, pendulous. Fruit obovoid, spongy, 
tipped by the persistent style; endocarp bony. Seed with a membranous 
testa ; albumen farinaceous ; embryo axile. 
A small family, consisting of the single genus Sparganium Linn., which comprises 
sixteen or eighteen well-defined species. All these are confined to the North Temperate 
Zone, with the exception of the New Zealand species, which is also found in Australia. 
1, SPARGANIUM Linn. 
Characters of the family, as above. 
1. S. antipodum Graebner in Allg. Bot. Zeitschr. iv (1899) 33.—Stems 
slender, erect, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves very long, the lower radical ones 
usually far surpassing the inflorescence, =-Lin. broad, flattish above, 
acutely and prominently keeled beneath, tip acute, lower portion expanded 
>. SarLreletoe tun Morons, Bull Tone. Bar. 
CAuklo, Wry TEM TWS~—G). 
t. Lxxia. 
