4. H. spicata, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 325.—A slender erect or ascending sparingly branched herb 4–10 in. high, glabrous or pubescent. Leaves few, opposite, shortly petioled, ⅓–⅔ in. long, ovate or elliptic-ovate, acute or subacute, coriaceous, serrate, pubescent. Flowers in slender terminal branched panicles, sessile in the axils of minute opposite or alternate bracts; terminal 1–3 flowers female; lower flowers apparently all male, but many of the bracts empty in my specimens. Calyx-lobes 4, triangular. Anthers 4; filaments short. Stigmas plumose. Fruit yLin. long, 4-angled; interspaces smooth or slightly wrinkled.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 149.
South Island: Otago—North end of Lake Hawea, altitude 1100 ft., Petrie!
A very curious plant, agreeing with H. depressa in the leaves and fruit, but differing widely in the paniculate inflorescence. I suspect that it will prove to be an abnormal state of H. depressa.
5. H. micrantha, R. Br. ex Sieb. and Zucc. Fl. Jap. i. 25.—A tufted much-branched procumbent or ascending herb 2–6 in. high; stems and branches slender, wiry, glabrous or slightly scaberulous. Leaves opposite, very shortly petioled, 15–13 in. diam., broadly ovate or almost orbicular, obtuse or subacute, coriaceous, crenate-serrate, the crenatures broad and rounded. Flowers minute, drooping, in slender almost filiform racemes terminating the branchlets; pedicels very short. Petals 4, more than twice as long as the triangular calyx-lobes. Fruit 120 in. long, broadly oblong, 8-costate, interspaces smooth and shining.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 66; Benth. Fl. Austral. ii. 482; Kirk, Students Fl. 149. H. tenella, Brong. in Duper. Voy. Coq. Bot. t. 68, f. 6; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 63. H. minima. Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xviii. (1886) 259. Gonicarpus citriodorus, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 530.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Abundant from the North Cape southwards. Sea-level to 3500 ft. November–January.
Extends through Australia and Malaya to the Himalayas, China, and Japan. All the fruits that I have examined are 1-seeded by abortion.
2. MYRIOPHYLLUM, Linn.
Glabrous marsh or aquatic herbs, branches often floating. Leaves opposite, alternate, or whorled, the lower leaves when submerged often pinnately divided with capillary segments. Flowers usually monœcious, axillary, solitary or spiked. Males: Calyx-tube very short; limb 4- or rarely 2-lobed or wanting. Petals 2–4, concave. Stamens 2, 4, or 8. Females: Calyx-tube deeply 4-grooved; limb wanting, or of 4 minute subulate lobes. Petals minute or wanting. Ovary inferior, 4- or rarely 2-celled; styles 4 or 2, usually recurved or plumose; ovules solitary in each cell. Fruit deeply 4-furrowed, usually separating into 4 dry indehiscent 1-seeded nuts.
