Easily distinguished by the erect glabrous habit, strong aromatic smell, large comparatively narrow leaves, and long slender spikes of very small flowers. It is widely distributed in many warm climates.
6. C. carinatum, R. Br. Prodr. 407.—A much-branched strong-smelling glandular-pubescent herb; stems usually decumbent at the base, erect or ascending above, 6–18 in. long. Leaves on slender petioles; blade variable in size, ¼–¾ in. long or more, oblong-lanceolate to oblong or ovate-oblong, obtuse, cuneate at the base, sinuate-lobed or -pinnatifid, rather thick, both surfaces rough with glandular pubescence. Flowers small, very copiously produced, in dense glomerules occupying almost all the axils, sometimes elongated into short leafy spikes. Perianth-segments 5, erect, incurved over the fruit, more or less glandular-pubescent. Stamen usually 1. Utricle small, compressed, erect, the pericarp adherent to the seed.—Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 213; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 231; Benth. Fl. Austral. v. 162. C. botrys, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 862 (not of Linn.). Blitum carinatum and B. glandulosum, Moq. in D.C. Prodr. xiii. ii. 81, 82.
North and South Islands: Warm dry soils from the North Cape to central Otago, rare and local. December–March.
A common Australian plant. It was collected at the Bay of Islands by Cunningham, and may be truly native in the North Auckland peninsula. Elsewhere it is doubtless naturalised.
7. C. pusillum, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 231.—A much-branched decumbent or prostrate glandular-pubescent little plant; branches spreading on all sides, 2–6 in. long, slender, leafy, ascending at the tips. Leaves on slender petioles; blade very variable in size, 110–13 in. diam. or more, broadly oblong to ovate-oblong or orbicular, rounded at the tip, quite entire or obscurely smuate, rather thin, both surfaces glandular-pubescent, veins prominent beneath. Flowers very minute, in small and dense few- or many-flowered axillary glomerules. Perianth-segments usually 4, erect, linear-oblong, concave, membranous, pubescent, incurved over the fruit but not completely concealing it. Stamen usually 1. Utricle small, erect, ovate, compressed, the pericarp not adhering to the seed.—C. pumilio, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 214 (not of R. Br.).
North Island: Sandy shores of the East Coast and Lake Taupo, Colenso! South Island: Near Nelson, Captain F. W. Hutton! Lake Lyndon (Canterbury), Enys! Kirk! T.F.C. Sea-level to 2500 ft.
I have had no opportunity of comparing this with the closely allied C. pumilio, R. Br., from Australia. According to Hooker, it is mainly distinguished by the membranous perianth-segments.
3. ATRIPLEX, Linn.
Herbs or shrubs, usually more or less mealy or scurfy-tomentose. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite. Flowers unisexual, usually in clusters arranged in simple or panicled spikes, the sexes distinct or mixed in the clusters. Male flowers ebracte-
