Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/748

708 Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. vi. (1874) 245. C. Hectori, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxv. (1893) 334. Dracæna indivisa, ''Forst. Prodr. n. 150; Pl. Escul. n. 38; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 148; A. Cunn. Precur.'' n. 301.

5. C. pumilio, ''Hook. f. in Gard. Chron.'' (1860) 792.—Small, usually stemless, but in some varieties with a short slender stem 1–3 ft. high. Leaves very numerous, densely rosulate, 1–3 ft. long, ¼–⅓ in. broad, narrow-linear, acuminate, coriaceous; lateral veins several, evident, parallel; midrib stout, prominent on both surfaces; margins often finely scaberulous. Panicles terminal, erect or inclined, very slender, laxly branched, 1–3 ft. long; branches long, slender, spreading. Flowers irregularly scattered along the branches, rather remote, shortly pedicelled, small, white or bluish-white, iin. diam.; pedicels variable in length. Perianth-segments oblong, obtuse. Berry globose, ⅕ in. diam., bluish-white. Seeds 1 or 2 in each cell.—''Handb. N.Z. Fl.'' 282. C. stricta, ''Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 257, t. 58 (not of Endl)''.

Large or small densely tufted perennial herbs, usually more or less clothed with silky or chaffy hairs or scales. Leaves numerous, linear, all radical or crowded near the base of the stem, with broad imbricate sheathing bases. Flowering stem or scape usually long, panicled above and many-flowered, rarely short and few-flowered, usually densely silky or woolly. Flowers small, diœcious. Perianth persistent, 6-partite; segments subequal, connate at the base into a short hemispherical tube or distinct, spreading or reflexed. Male flowers: Stamens 6, affixed to the base of the segments; filaments filiform; anthers oblong or linear-oblong. Rudimentary ovary pre-