Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/82

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
60
FLORA ANTARCTICA.
[Auckland and

ing-ing will rank, thus characterized: "§ 2. Decussatæ. Frutices Antarcticæ v. Australasicæ. Folia crassiuscula, nitida, glaberrima, decussatim opposita, integerrima v. rarius subserrata, costa valida, venis inconspicuis. Racemi ad apices ramorum corymboso-congesti, v. rarius in axillis abbreviati, pauciflori. Capsula acuta v. obtusiuscula, turgida v. parallele compressa."—Benth. MSS.

2. Veronica Benthami, Hook. fil.; fruticosa, ramulis junioribus bifariam puberulis demum glabris, foliis decussatis oblongis v. oblongo-obovatis v. lineari-oblongis obtusis basi angustatis sessilibus planis coriaceis uninerviis linea puberula alba marginatis integerrimis v. ultra medium remote serratis, racemis terminalibus, floribus inter bracteas foliaceas breviter pedicellatis, calycis laciniis 5 valde inæqualibus obtusis corollæ tubo multo longioribus, corolla 5-partita, capsula majuscula late ovata acuta. (Tab. XXXIX. & XL.)

Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; on rocky places on the hills, abundant.

Frutex erectus, 2-4 pedalis, ramosus. Caulis brevis, validus, fuscus. Rami patentes, demum ascendentes, annulati, nudi, cortice fusco, opaco, longitudinaliter corrugato tecti. Ramuli erecti, validi, crassi, interdum crassitudine pennæ anserinæ, 5—7 unc. longi, obscure tetragoni, angulis obtusis, creberrime annulati v. potius transversim cicatricosi, basi nudi, sursum versus apices tantum foliosi, cortice pallide testaceo. Folia decussata, imbricata, horizontaliter patentia, inferiora majora, 1—1½ unc. longa, ¼—½ unc. lata, gradatim minora, sessilia v. in petiolum brevissimum attenuata, ima basi interdum connata, plana, forma varia, sæpius obovato-oblonga, nunc elliptica v. oblonga, rarius lineari-oblonga v. angustiora, obtusa, subacuta v. mucrone obtuso, basi semper attenuata, coriacea, integra v. supra medium remote crenato-serrata; margine tenuiter recurvo, linea latiuscula, alba, puberula, subargentea circumdato, versus apicem latiore et interdum plus minusve super pagiuam superiorem folii extensa, et tomento molli breve ciliata; supra intense viridia, subnitida, medio canaliculata, avenia; subtus pallidiora, subglaucescentia, costa medio prominula, valida; siccitate atro-fusca v. testacea, supra sæpius transversim corrugata. Racemi elongati, 1½—2½ unc. longi, terminales, erecti, validi, bracteis foliaceis tecti, sæpius simplices, interdum basin versus ramosi, ramis abbreviatis. Rachis tota albido-pubescens v. subtomentosa, teres, stricta; fructifera, demum elongata, basi nuda; anni præteriti persistens, lignosa, ramulo lateralis. Bracteæ foliaceæ, folia summa omnino simulantes, sed minores, inferiores ¾, supremæ ¼ unc. longæ, albido-marginatæ ut folia caulina, brevissime petiolatæ, petiolis basi distantibus, omnes floriferæ. Flores racemo singulo circiter 20-30, quorum 6-8 tantum simul explicant, in axillis bractearum solitarii, pedicellati, limbo corollæ exserto, conspicuo. Pedicelli ½—1 unc. longi, erecti, pubescentes; fructiferi elongati, validi, lignosi. Calyx profunde quinquepartitus, majusculus, campanulatus v. infundibuliformis, corollæ tubo multo longior, interdum limbum ejus æquans; laciniæ 2 exteriores laterales, cæteræ longiores et bis latiores, obovato-spathulatæ, obtusæ, foliaceæ, sub 2 lin. longæ, albo marginatæ; cæteræ subæquales, lineari-spathulatæ, apicibus rotundatis paululum recurvis. Corolla hypocrateriformis, ampla, ringens v. patens, diametro 5-6 lin., intense azurea, venis violaceis; tubus limbo ⅓ brevior; laciniæ inter se æquales v. inæquales, plerumque 5, rarius 3 v. 6, nunquam 4 (mihi visæ), obovato-spathulatæ v. late obovatæ, forma variæ, nunc angustiores, nunc latiores. Stamina 2, rarius 3, fauce corollæ inserta; filamenta brevia, valida, subulata, laciniis sub ½ breviora; antheris majusculis, purpureis, loculis divaricatis. Ovarium late ovatum, subacutum, compressum, 2-sulcatum, 2-loculare, loculis pluriovulatis; ovulis marginibus inflexis dissepimentorum adnexis. Stylus validus, breviusculus, paulo curvatus. Stigma capitatum. Capsulæ in spicam v. racemum elongatum, erectum, nudum dispositæ, breviter v. longius pedicellatæ, pedicellis nunc 3-5 lin. longis, majusculæ, erectæ, paulo longiores quam latæ, 3—4 lin. longæ, coriaceæ, late ovatæ, acutæ, turgidæ, bi- tripartibiles, bi- triloculares, septicide v. rarius locuiicide bi- trivalves; valvulæ ovatæ, acutæ, pallide flavæ v. atræ, dorso ab apice ad medium et antice ad basim fissæ; placentæ pedicellatæ, ab utraque valvula discedentes, pedicellis gracilibus; rarius, et solummodo ubi capsula trilocularis sit, semina marginibus connatis dissepimentorum affixa sunt. Semina parva, imbricata, brunnea, compressa, ala lata,