broad, narrow-linear, pungent-pointed, rigid and coriaceous when dry, striate, margins thickened; petiole short, sheath narrow, rather membranous. Scape slender; bracts long, with broad membranous sheaths and a long simple or 3-partite pungent leaflet at the top. Male umbels distant or crowded, on short peduncles or almost sessile; females much smaller, concealed in the tumid sheaths of the bracts. Fruit linear-oblong, 110–18 in. long; carpels 5-ribbed. Vittæ 1 or rarely 2 in the interspaces, 2 or 4 on the commissural face.—Students' Fl. 210.
South Island: Otago—Mount Ida and Mount Kyeburn, Petrie! Stewart Island: Mounts Anglem and Rakiahua, Kirk! Goyen! 2000–3500 ft. December–January.
Not far removed from A. Lyallii, but smaller in all its parts, and with the leaves simple or 3-foliolate, rarely pinnate. Still more closely allied to A. Hectori.
8. A. Kirkii, Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. (1887) 214, t. 17.—Stout, erect, smooth and polished, 6–12 in. high. Leaves all radical, yellowish-brown, 4–9 in. long, ¼–½ in. broad or more, simple or forked or 3-foliolate, excessively thick and coriaceous, striate, suddenly narrowed into a short spinous point; sheath short and narrow, jointed at its junction with the blade. Flowering scape stout, naked below, grooved. Bracts coriaceous, spinous, simple or 2–3-partite. Male umbels shortly peduncled; females almost sessile in the axils of the bracts, crowded, forming a dense spicate inflorescence 2–3 in. long. Fruit linear-oblong, 15 in. long; carpels 4–5-winged. Vittæ 1–2 in the interspaces, 4 on the commissural face.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 209.
South Island: Otago—Mount Alta, Buchanan! Hector Mountains, hill near Mount Aspiring, Petrie! 5000–6000 ft. January.
A very remarkable plant, of which more complete specimens are required to draw up a good description. My only knowledge of the male flowers is derived from Mr. Buchanan's plate.
9. A. Monroi, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 330.—Stems 4–18 in. high, densely clothed below with the remains of the old leaves, smooth and shining. Radical leaves numerous, 3–9 in. long, pinnate or 2-pinnate below; leaflets 2–6 pairs, ½–2 in. long, 112–14 in. wide, linear, pungent, rigid and coriaceous, striate; sheaths long and narrow, membranous or flaccid, with two subulate leaflets at the top. Umbels compound, forming an open branched panicle 1½–4in. long. Bracts spreading, sheaths often broad and membranous, tipped by a pinnately divided leaflet. Peduncles of the male umbels ½–2 in. long, females about half the length; rays numerous, slender, spreading; involucral bracts linear. Fruit 16 in. long, linear-oblong; carpels 5-winged or rarely 4-winged. Vittæ 1–2 in the interspaces, 2–4 on the commissural face.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 93; Kirk, Students Fl. 210.}}
