512 ROSACEAE. [ Acaena. 
the stamens vary from 20 to 40. Calyx-tube much compressed, 4-winged ; 
the lateral wings much larger, produced upwards and outwards; the 2 
remaining wings always smaller and less prominent. Sepals 4, broadly 
ovate, persistent, green, sometimes red; be:ow the sepals are 4 minute 
spines without barbs.—%. Kirk Students’ FI. (1899) 154; Cheesem. Man. 
N.Z. Fl. (1906) 133; Bitter Monog. Gattung Acaena (1910). 
Sours Tstanp: Nelson—Wairau Gorge, Rowgh, T. F. C.; Upper Clarence Valley, 
T. Kirk, T. F. C.; Lake Guyon, H. H. Travers! Lake Tennyson, Rk. M. Laing. Mar!- 
borough—Mount Mouatt and Awatere Valley, T. Kirk / Canterbury—Mount Torlesse, 
Petrie! Broken River, 7. F. C.; Mount Cook district, 7. 7. C. Otago—Mount Ida, 
Peirie/ mountains above Lake Harris, 7. Kirk; Mackinnon’s Pass, F#. G. (Gibbs! 
Routeburn, Poppelwell. 2500-4500 ft. 
<7 ( aut) 7. Fn 
A very remarkable plant, at once recognized by the almost perfectly glabrous 
habit, large apparently unarmed heads, and the iaterally winged and much-compressed 
fruiting calyx-tube. 
The occasional production in this species of unisexual flowers in which the males 
contain as many as 30-40 stamens is a matter that should be inquired into. The 
peculiarity was first detected by Mr. T. Kirk in some specimens collected in the 
Clarence Valley, and I still possess a specimen given to me by him in which it is - 
clearly shown. But I have failed in obtaining any additional examples. 
* 
‘ 
Family LI. LEGUMINOSAE. 
Py | 
Herbs,shrubs, or trees, of very various habit. Leaves usually alternate, 
stipulate, compound, rarely simple, sometimes wanting. Flowers generally 
irregular, hermaphrodit@@occasionally regular and polygamous. Sepals 5, 
usually cohering into a-more or less deeply divided calyx, sometimes Iree, 
often unequal, occasionally 2-lipped. Petals 5, seldom fewer, perigynous 
or rarely hypogynous, either papilionaceous or more or less regularly 
spreading. , Stan 10, rarely less or more, perigynous or almost -hypogy- 
nous; filaments ‘either free or all connate into a tube surrounding the 
ovary, or mere generally 9 of them united and 1 free. Ovary free, 1-celled, 
consisting of a single carpel; style simple; ovules 1 to many, attached 
to the ventral suture. Fruit a pod splitting open along both sutures, 
rarely indehiscent or transversely breaking up into 1-seeded joints. Seeds 
nearly always exalbuminous ; embryo with large foliaceous or amygdaloidal 
cotyledons and a short radicle. 
With the exception of Conpositae, this is the largest family of flowering plants, 
comprising 500 genera and about 12,000 species. Next to Gramineae, it is the most 
serviceable to man for food: and it produces more substances used in the arts and 
medicine than any other family. Its distribution is practically world-wide; but it is 
singularly rare in New Zealand, the proportion of species being much smaller than 
in any other country of equal size. In fact, the paucity of Leguminosae is one of the 
most remarkable peculiarities of the New Zealand flora, especially taking into account 
that the family is the one most strongly developed in Australia, the nearest land area 
to New Zealand. Of the 8 indigenous genera, Carmichaelia has an outlying species in 
Lord Howe Island, but is otherwise restricted to New Zealand; while the 3 closely 
allied genera Corallospartium, Chordespartium, and Notospartium are endemic. Clianthis 
has 1, or perhaps 2, species in Australia, and 1 in the Malay Archipelago ; Swainsona 
is largely represented in Australia; while Canavalia and Sophora are widely distributed. 
in warm climates. A list of the naturalized species, with references to descriptions, — 
will be found in the appendix. 
