Astelia. | LILIACEAE, 313 
the segments; filaments filiform; anthers oblong or linear-oblong. Rudi- 
mentary ovary present. Female flowers: Staminodia present. Ovary 
sessile, broadly ovoid or oblong, 1-celled with 3 parietal placentas, or 
3-celled with the placentas in the axis; ovules numerous on each placenta ; 
style very short; stigma 3-lobed. Fruit an indehiscent more or less fleshy 
oblong or ovoid or subglobose berry. Seeds several, ovoid or oblong, 
straight or curved, terete or angular; testa black, crustaceous ; embryo 
small, cylindric ; albumen fleshy. 
A small genus of 15 or 16 species, with its headquarters in New Zealand, but with 
1 species in south-eastern Australia and Tasmania, | in Fiji, 2 or 3 in the Sandwich 
Islands, and 1 in antarctic America. In New Zealand it forms a prominent part of the 
vegetation, especially in the northern forests, to which one or two of the species often 
give a peculiar aspect. The species are by no means easy of discrimination, partly 
from a certain amount of similarity in the foliage, and partly from the flowers being 
dioecious, thus making it difficult to match the sexes. When dealing with fresh speci- 
mens these difficulties in great measure disappear, particularly if due attention is paid 
to the structure of the ovary and the size and shape of the ripe fruit, both of which 
afford excellent characters. The student will find some valuable remarks on this point 
in Mr. Kirk’s notes on the genus, published in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. iv, pp. 241-47. 
With respect to the remarkable diversity existing in the genus in the placentation of 
the ovary, reference should be made to the ‘“‘ Flora Antarctica,’’ vol. i, p. 357. 
In the following arrangement I have adopted Hooker’s identification of the two 
species originally described by Cunningham. But Cunningham’s diagnoses, such as 
they are, do not satisfactorily match Hooker’s plants, and it has been suggested that 
he had other species in his mind. The question is one which cannot be settled, if 
settled at all, without reference to Cunningham’s collections, all of which are outside 
the Dominion, and beyond my reach. But taking into account Hooker’s remarks in the 
‘Flora of New Zealand’’ ‘vol. i, p. 251), where he says, ‘‘ Cunningham confused all 
the species and sexes, examined none, and referred at random to Banks and Solander’s 
drawings and notes, substituting names of his own for theirs,’’ it appears’ highly doubt- 
ful whether such an examination would be at all conclusive. An alteration of the 
present nomenclature, which has received universal acceptance, would be a matter 
much to be deplored. 
I have had much trouble with the species, i0 in all, described by Colenso in the 
Trans. N.Z. Inst. Unfortunately, few of them are represented by named specimens 
in his herbarium; and his descriptions are so vague, and so much overloaded with 
trivial details, that it is difficult to come to an opinion respecting them. But I can 
see no grounds for supposing that they are really distinct, or represent anything more 
than individual differences. 
A. Berry I-celled. Ovules attached to 3 parietal placentas. 
Very small, subalpine. Leaves 3-lin., terete or canaliculate. ° 4 
Flower solitary .. ue = oes oe .. L. A. subulata. 
Small, subalpine. Leaves 1-8 in., glabrous or scaly. Scape few- 
flowered. Berry oblong, +-4 in. long a s, .. 2, A. linearis. 
Leaves 2-5it. x $-lin., glabrous or silky. Scape panicled, 
many-flowered ; female prostrate in fruit. Berry globose, 4 in. Selacder; 
diam. Seeds terete er #35 sis oa .. 3 A. Cunninghamir. 
B. Berry 3-celled. Ovules attached to the inner angles of the cells. 
* Perianth not enlarged or coloured in fruit. 
Leaves 2-6 ft. x }-l4in., not conspicuously 3-nerved. Female 
scape stout, erect in fruit. Flowers }in. long. Berry 4 in. 
long, ovoid, purplish-black. Seeds angled .. 7 i 
Leaves 3-Git. x 3-1?in., conspicuously 3-nerved and plaited. 
Female scape prostrate in fruit. Flowers +in. long. Berry 
4. A. Banksii. 
din. diam., globose, red .. cis ray A? .. Oo&»= A. trinervia. 
Leaves 2-5 ft. x 14-21 in., conspicuously 3-nerved, not plaited. 
Flowers large, narrow, $in. long. Female seape not prostrate ce. haste 
in fruit. Berry }in. diam., globose, red .. i .. 6. A. Solandri. 
oan | 
