glabrous. Leaves ½–1 in. long, oblong in outline, membranous, deeply pinnatifid or bipinnatifid; ultimate segments linear, entire, acute or mucronate. Heads 110–15 in. diam., on long slender peduncles; involucral bracts in 2 series, linear-oblong, obtuse. Female florets numerous, in 3 series, on slender pedicels; corolla wanting. Disc-florets comparatively few, subsessile; corolla tubular, dilated at the base, 4-toothed at the tip. Achenes of the female florets obovate, with a broad thick wing, glandular on both faces; those of the disc-florets much smaller, glabrous, hardly winged.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 141; Fl. Tasm. i. 191, t. 50a; Benth. Fl. Austral. iii. 550; Kirk, Students Fl. 322. C. venosa, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. (1891) 388. Strongylosperma australe, Less. Syn. Comp. 261.
Kermadec Islands, North and South Islands, Chatham Islands: Abundant in lowland districts. September–March.
Also found in Australia, Tasmania, and Tristan d'Acunha; and perhaps not really different from a South African plant.
3. C. atrata, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 142.—Rhizome stout, creeping, tortuous; roots long and stringy. Stems 1–6 in. high, erect or ascending, stout, leafy, densely pubescent. Leaves ½–1½ in. long, thick and fleshy, pubescent on both surfaces; petiole broad, flat, sheathing ar the base; blade linear-oblong or linearobovate in outline, pinnatifid; segments close-set, entire or toothed or again pinnatifid; cauline leaves smaller, pinnatifid or lobed. Heads subglobose, ⅓–¾ in. diam., black or brownish-yellow; involucral bracts in 2–4 series, linear-obovate, entire or pinnatifid, shorter than the florets or equalling them. Female florets in 3–5 series; corolla cylindric, rugose, 3–4-toothed. Disc-florets with a long rugose tube and narrow funnel-shaped 4-toothed limb. Achenes linear-oblong or linear-obovoid, rugose.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 323.
South Island: Dry shingle slopes in alpine localities. Nelson to Otago; not uncommon. 3500–6500 ft. January–February.
Easily recognised by the greyish-green foliage and almost black heads. It is a variable plant in the size of the heads, length of the involucral bracts, and in their being sometimes entire, sometimes pinnatifid.
4. C. plumosa, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 141.—A large densely tufted aromatic species, often forming broad soft patches, everywhere clothed with long villous hairs. Stems short, stout, creeping. Leaves on long slender petioles 3–6 in. long; blade 2–6 in., oblong in outline, flaccid and membranous, finely 3–4-pinnatifid; primary divisions close-set, linear-oblong, recurved, 2-pinnatifid on the upper side; ultimate segments ⅙ in. long, linear, toothed on one side. Peduncles slender, shorter than the leaves, usually with a linear entire or pinnatifid bract about the middle. Head ⅓–½ in. diam.; involucral bracts in 2 or 3 series, broadly oblong, with broad
