Pimelea. | THYMELAEACEAE. 579 
ifoli 7 kstr. in Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockh. 
1. P. longifolia Banks and Sol. ex Wikstr. n Vet. Akad. 
(1818) 280.—A small erect much-branched shrub 2-9 ft. high, perfectly 
glabrous except the inflorescence and sometimes a minute tuft of hairs at 
the tips of the young leaves; bark dark reddish-brown. Leaves crowded, 
opposite, spreading or suberect, 1-3in. long, 4-$in. broad, oblong- or 
elliptic-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute or acuminate, narrowed into a very 
short petiole, coriaceous, flat, smooth, midrib and lateral veins distinct 
beneath ; floral leaves similar or slightly broader. Flowers mm compact 
many-flowered heads terminating the branches, sessile, sweet-scented, 
white or white tinged with rose, polygamo-dioecious. Receptacle villous. 
Perianth densely silky-villous ; males the largest, 4-3 in. long, with exserted 
anthers on slender filaments and a rather short style with small capitate 
stigma. Females smaller and narrower ; anthers smaller, on short filaments, 
usually without pollen; style longer, with a larger capitate and papillose 
stigma. Fruit dry with a membranous epicarp, included in the swollen 
base of the perianth.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 242; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 
(1864) 242; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 609; LU. N.Z. Fl. u (1914) 
t. 172. Passerina longifolia Thunb. Mus. Nat. Acad. xii, 106. 
Var. lanceolata..—_Leaves narrower, 1—2in. long, 4-}in. broad, linear-lanceolate. 
Flowers smaller.—P. lanceolata Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxii (1890) 483 (male). 
P. similis Col. l.c. (female). P. angulata Col. l.c. xviii (1886) 265 (a form with 
occasionally 3 or 4 stamens). a wey C% - 
Nortu Istanp: Dry hills from the Bay of Islands to Cook Strait, but not _- 
plentiful. Sour Istanp: Admiralty Bay, Banks and Solander ; mountains of Nelson, 
W. 7. L. Travers, FP. G. Gibbs ! vicinity of Westport and at Charleston, W. Townson ! 
Var. lanceolata: Base of Ruapehu, H. Hill; inland Patea, A. Lascelles ! source of 
Ngaruroro River, Petrie; Pelorus Sound, J. H. Macmahon! J. Rutland ! Sea-level 
to 3000 ft. Taranga. October-December. 
A very handsome and attractive plant, easily distinguished from all the other 
species found in New Zealand by the glabrous habit, large leaves, and many-flowered 
headg, of large white flowers. Its nearest ally is P. Gnidia, which differs mainly in the 
much smaller and frequently keeled leaves, and in the smaller flowers. 
(Nock: 5) 
2. P. Gnidia /Walld. Sp. Plant. i (1798) 50.—A stout erect much- 
branched shrub 1-5 ft. high, glabrous except the inflorescence and some- 
times a tuft of silky hairs in the axils of the leaves; bark dark reddish- 
brown. Leaves close-set, opposite, shortly petioled, 4-3 in. long, oblong 
or oblong-lanceolate or linear-oblong, usually acute at both ends, rigid and 
coriaceous, often slightly keeled by the prominent midrib, veinless, margins 
usually slightly thickened; floral similar or rather broader. Flowers in 
compact many-flowered heads terminating the branches, sessile, white or 
pale-rose, polygamo-dioecious. Perianth densely silky-villous, 4-2 in. long. 
Anthers exserted. Style slender; stigma capitate, exserted. Fruit dry.— 
A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. (1832) 171; A. Cunn. Precur. (1838) n. 343; Raoul 
Chowx (1846) 42; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 221; Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 
243; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 609. Banksia Gnidia Forst. Char. 
Gen. (1776) 8, t. 4. Passerina Gnidia Forst. f. Prodr. (1786) n. 170. Cookia 
Gnidia Gmel. Syst. i (1791) 24. a 
_ Var. pulehella.— Robust. Leaves larger, 3-lin. long, elliptic-lanceolate or 
linear-obovate, acute or,obtuse, not keeled, lateral veins often evident. Heads larger 
with more numerous flowers. Flowers almost as large as those of P. longifolia. Inter- 
omits re P. Gnidia and P. longifolia, and with equal claims to be referred to 
19* 
