Small perennial herbs; either tufted with radical leaves and 1-headed scapes, or the stems branched, elongated, and clothed with alternate cauline leaves. Heads heterogamous, usually radiate. Involucre hemispherical or nearly so; bracts in about 2 series, with scarious margins. Receptacle convex or conical,.
naked. Ray-florets in one series, numerous, female, ligulate. Disc-florets numerous, hermaphrodite, tubular, limb more or less dilated, 5-toothed. Anthers obtuse at the base. Style-branches of the disc-florets flattened, with lanceolate or triangular tips. Achenes compressed, with winged margins, or thick and obtusely 4-angled. Pappus a ring of short scale-like bristles or altogether wanting.
The genus has its headquarters in Australia, where there are nearly 40 species. In addition to those, and the five following found in New Zealand, there is one from tropical South Africa and another from Assam.
* Stemless. Leaves all radical.
Minute, perfectly glabrous. Leaves narrow-linear, ¼–1 in. long. Heads in. 1/10 diam. |
1.
B. lineata. |
Leaves ½–1½ in. long, narrow linear-spathulate, closely and uniformly pinnatifid |
2.
B. pinnata. |
Leaves ½–3 in. long, oblong- or obovate-spathulate, rarely narrower, entire toothed or lobed |
3.
B. Sinclairii. |
** Stems branched from the base. Leaves radical and cauline.
Stems 2–4 in. Leaves few, ½–1 in., oblong-spathulate, unequally 3–8-lobed. Heads ¼–⅓ in. |
4.
B. odorata. |
Stems 3–12 in. Leaves numerous, 1–3 in., oblong-spathulate, coarsely toothed or lobed. Heads ½ in. diam. |
5.
B. Thomsoni. |
B. simplicifolia, J. B. Armstr. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 338, is quite unknown to me, and there are no specimens in any public collection in the colony. It probably does not belong to the genus.
1. |
B. lineata,
T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 259.— A minute tufted plant ½–1½ in. high, perfectly glabrous in all its parts. Leaves numerous, all radical, ¼–1 in. long, about 1/25 in. wide, broadest to wards the tip, obtuse or subacute, narrowed to the base, which is slightly broader and sheathing, flat, quite entire. Scapes 2–5, slender, strict, naked, elongating in fruit, about twice as long as the leaves. Heads solitary, small, 1/15–1/10 in. diam.; involucral bracts about 8, oblong-ovate, with broad purple scarious margins. Ray-florets few; ligules short, white, revolute. Achenes very small, pale, compressed, linear-obovate, obtuse, quite smooth and glabrous. Pappus wanting.—Lagenophora linearis,
Petrie in Trans. N.Z Inst xxv. (1893) 271.
South Island: Grassy flats near Lake Te Anau,
Petrie! January–February.
A curious little species, quite unlike any other.
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2. |
B. pinnata,
Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 138.—Rhizome stout, creeping, branched, ascending at the tips. Leaves radical, ½–1½ in. long, linear or narrow linear-spathulate, deeply and closely pinnati-fid; segments broadly oblong or rounded, coriaceous, entire, flat or concave beneath, glabrous or minutely glandular-pubescent. Scapes 2–6 in. long, slender, naked, glandular-pubescent. Heads ⅓ in. diam.; involucral bracts oblong, pubescent; margins purple, scarious
and often jagged. Achenes obovate, glabrous; margins thickened. Pappus of very minute scales.—
Kirk, Students' Fl. 259. B. radicata
var. b,
Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 127.
South Island: Canterbury Plains—Near Burnham,
Kirk! between Springfield and the Kowai River,
T. F. C.
Stewart Island:
Lyall (Handbook). December–January.
Although, this has a very different appearance from the ordinary state of
B. Sinclairii, some varieties of that plant approach it so closely as to be almost indistinguishable.
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3. |
B. Sinclairii,
Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. FL 137.—An exceed ingly variable perennial herb 1–12 in. high, glabrous or more or less glandular-pubescent. Rhizome short, stout, branched, ascending at the tip. Leaves all radical, ½–3 in. long, oblong- or obovate-spathulate to linear-spathulate. rounded at the tip, gradually narrowed into a rather broad flat petiole, coriaceous or almost membranous, sometimes slightly fleshy, entire or variously toothed or lobed or even pinnatifid. Scapes 1 or several, strict, 1–12 in. high, glabrous or more or less glandular, naked or with 1–2 minute linear bracts. Heads very variable in size, ⅓–¾ in. diam.; involucral bracts oblong to linear, obtuse or subacute, glabrous or glandular-pubescent; margins thin, purplish or whitish, usually jagged. Ray-florets numerous; ligules very variable in length. Achenes much compressed, narrow-obovate, usually glabrous, margins slightly thickened.—
Kirk, Students' Fl. 260.
North Island: Mountainous districts from the East Cape southwards, but rare and local.
South Island: Abundant in mountain districts throughout. 1000–6000 ft. December–February.
Very variable in the size and shape of the leaves, and in their being entire, toothed, or lobulate, or even pinnatifid; but the variations are not constant, and entire and lobulate leaves can often be found on the same plant. The heads also vary greatly in size.
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4. |
B. odorata,
Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 138.—Rhizome stout, creeping, branched, ascending at the tips. Stems 2–4 in. long, erect or ascending, branched from the base, more or less pubescent or glandular, as are the leaves, scapes, and involucres. Leaves few, ½–1 in. long, including the slender petiole; blade oblong- or obovate-spathulate, obtuse, deeply and unequally 3–8- lobed. Peduncles terminating the branches, 1–3 in. long, rather slender. Heads ¼–13 in. diam.; involucral bracts oblong, obtuse. Ray-florets with short ligules. Achenes linear-clavate, densely glandular-pubescent.—
Kirk, Students' Fl. 260. B. radicata,
Hook.f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 127
(in part).
North Island: Kaweka, Hawke's Bay,
H. Tryon! Patea, Wellington,
Colenso! Boniu.
Of this species there are three specimens in Mr. Colenso's herbarium, and I have also seen a single specimen collected by Mr. Tryon. Mr. Colenso states that the plant was prized by the Maoris on account of its fragrance, and that the flowers were often strung like daisies and worn round the neck.
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5. |
B. Thomsoni,
T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 372, t. 27.—Rhizome stout, creeping, branched. Stems 3–12 in. long, stout, branched from the base, decumbent or ascending, densely glandular-pubescent, as are the leaves, scapes, and involucres. Leaves numerous, radical and cauline, 1–2 in. long, oblong- or obovate-spathulate, obtuse, narrowed into a very broad flat petiole, coarsely bluntly toothed or lobed or almost pinnatifid. Peduncles terminating the branches, 3–6 in. long or more, stout, somewhat rigid, naked or with a solitary linear bract. Heads about ½ in, diam.; involucral bracts oblong or oblong-ovate, obtuse, with purple tips. Ray-florets usually numerous, but sometimes wanting in reduced states; rays white, spreading. Achenes linear-clavate, densely glandular-pubescent; margins thickened. Pappus of minute bristly scales.—
Students' Fl. 260.
Var.
membranifolia,
Kirk, l.c. 261.— More slender and less branched, and not so glandular. Leaves 1–3 in. long, membranous; petioles longer and more slender.
Var.
polita,
Cheesem.—Usually glabrous, except the peduncles. Stems very slender, simple or sparingly branched, leafy at the base. Leaves 1–3 in., very
thin and membranous. Heads rather smaller.—B. polita,
Kirk, Students' Fl. 261.
South Island: Otago—Cape Whanbrow,
Kirk! Petrie! near Green Island,
Petrie.
Stewart Island: Common on the coast,
G. M. Thomson!' Petrie! Kirk! Var.
membranifolia: Mount Arthur Plateau, Nelson,
T. F. C. Var.
polita: Arthur's Pass,
Kirk! Cockayne! Sea-level to 4000 ft. December–January.
A very variable plant, only separated from
B. odorata by the much larger-size and coarser habit and larger heads. It has the same strong fragrance.
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