Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/524

484 short filaments; anthers orbicular. Capsule ⅙ in. long.—Raoul, Choix, 43; ''Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 187; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 201; Bot. Mag.'' t. 6597. C. albula and C. Sturmii, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 391, 392.

2. C. repens, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 187.—A slender much-branched creeping and rooting pubescent herb, stems 4–12 in. long; branches very slender, prostrate or ascendmg, sparingly leafy. Leaves opposite, on long slender petioles; blade ½–1½ in. long, broadly oblong or ovate to orbicular, coarsely and irregularly doubly toothed or crenate, very thin and membranous, sparingly pubescent on both surfaces. Panicles terminal, small, 1–5-flowered; pedicels almost filiform. Flowers about ¼ in. diam., white spotted with purple. Calyx adherent to the ovary at the base; lobes ovate, acute. Corolla divided about half-way down into two nearly equal concave entire lips, upper lip slightly smaller. Capsule ovoid-conic, membranous.—''Handb. N.Z. Fl.'' 202.

Erect or prostrate herbs. Leaves opposite, entire or toothed. Flowers solitary and axillary, or the upper ones sometimes forming a terminal raceme. Calyx tubular or campanulate, 5-angled, 5-toothed. Corolla tubular at the base, 2-lipped above; upper lip erect or spreading, 2-lobed; lower spreading, 3-lobed; throat usually with two protuberances. Stamens 4, didynamous; anthers all perfect, 2-celled; cells divergent, often confluent at the top. Style slender; stigma of 2 flat laminæ. Capsule loculicidally dehiscent, valves usually splitting away from a central column which bears the placentas. Seeds small, numerous.

M. repens, R. Br. Prodr. 439.—Perfectly glabrous. Stems stout, succulent, creeping and rooting at the joints; branches prostrate or ascending or erect, 1–5 in. long. Leaves opposite, sessile, often stem-clasping, ⅙–¼ in. long, broadly ovate to oblong, obtuse, quite entire, thick and succulent, pitted when dry. Flowers few,