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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

3. Colobanthus, Bartling

3. Colobanthus, Bartling.

Small densely tufted usually rigid glabrous herbs. Leaves opposite, narrow-linear or subulate, usually imbricate, rigid, cartilaginous, rarely fleshy. Flowers green, solitary, on short or long peduncles. Sepals 4–5, coriaceous, erect. Petals wanting. Stamens 4–5, alternating with the sepals, slightly perigynous. Capsule ovoid or oblong, opening by as many valves as sepals.

A small genus of about 15 species, most numerous in New Zealand, but found also on the mountains of South America, in Australia and Tasmania, and in the Antarctic islands. Of the 9 species found in New Zealand, all but 3 are endemic. The species are highly variable, and most of them extremely difficult of discrimination.

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Colobanthus repens, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. 261, and C. cœspitosus, Col. l.c. xxvii. 384, are respectively Sagina procumbens, Linn., and S. apetala, Linn., as proved by the type specimens in Mr. Colenso's herbarium. It is curious that such an acute observer as Mr. Colenso should have overlooked that the stamens are opposite to the sepals in both these plants, and not alternate, as is the case in all true Colobanthi. Both the above species of Sagina are now copiously naturalised throughout the colony.

* Flowers tetramerous.

Soft, bright-green. Leaves 1/10–¼ in., linear, obtuse, almost fleshy. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, obtuse 1. C. muscoides.
Branched, leafy. Leaves flaccid, ¼–⅔ in., acute or mucronate, but not acicular. Sepals ovate, obtuse 2. C. quitensis.

** Flowers pentamerous.

Leaves grassy, often flaccid, acicular. Sepals ovate, acute or acuminate, but slightly exceeding the capsule 3. C. Billardieri.
Leaves rigid, usually spreading, acicular. Sepals acicular, much longer than the capsule 4. C. Muelleri.
Leaves densely imbricate, small, 1/10–⅕ in., obtuse at the tip, with a short acicular point. Sepals about equal to the capsule 5. C. brevisepalus.
Leaves densely imbricate, ⅙–¼ in., strict, narrowed into short acicular points. Sepals about equal to the capsule 6. C. Benthamianus.
Leaves densely imbricate, ¼–¾ in., curved, narrowed into very long acicular points. Sepals much longer than the capsule 7. C. acicularis.
Leaves loosely imbricate, ⅛–¼ in., spreading or recurved, chaffy, acute or shortly acicular. Sepals 5, ovate, acute, about equal to the capsule 8. C. canaliculatus.
Leaves barely imbricate, loosely spreading, membranous, ¼–½ in. long. Peduncles axillary. Sepals linear-subulate, much longer than the capsule 9. C. Buchanani.
1.C. muscoides, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 14.—A soft almost flaccid perfectly glabrous densely tufted bright-green plant, forming large irregular patches. Stems numerous, branched, densely matted and compacted. Leaves closely imbricated, connate at the base, spreading or ascending, 1/10–¼ in. long, linear from a broad base, obtuse at the tip. Flowers minute, on short peduncles which are sunk amongst the uppermost leaves or shortly exserted in fruit. Sepals 4, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, concave, obscurely keeled at the back. Capsule shorter than the sepals.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 25; Kirk, Students' Fl. 62; Homb. and Jacq. Voy. au Pôle Sud, Bot. t. 17.

The Snares, Auckland, Campbell, Antipodes, and Macquarie Islands: Common on rocks near the sea.

Forms rounded patches sometimes 18 in. across, although usually much smaller, the inner part composed of the decaying foliage and stems of old plants, the outside thickly covered with the compacted stems and branches, clothed with bright-green leaves.

2.C. quitensis, Bartl. in Presl. Reliq. Haenk. ii. 13, t. 49, f. 2.—A small densely tufted much-branched plant 1–2 in. high, forming rather soft rounded patches. Leaves variable in size, lower some-page 67times over ½ in. long, upper often very small, ⅛–¼ in., narrow-linear or linear-subulate, acute or mucronate but not acicular at the tip, connate at the base, flat or concave above, convex beneath; texture soft. Peduncles short, stout, terminal. Flowers ⅛–⅙ in. long. Sepals 4. ovate, broad at the base, obtuse at the tip, rather thick. Capsule ⅓ shorter than the sepals.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 24; Kirk, Students' Fl. 60.

South Island: Nelson—Dun Mountain Range, Mount Arthur, Raglan Mountains, T. F. C.; Wairau Mountains, Travers. Canterbury—Kowai River, Haast. Otago—Buchanan! Altitudinal range 1500 to 4500 ft. Also in South America, from Mexico to Cape Horn.

A well-marked species, at once recognised by the soft leaves, which never have acicular points, by the tetramerous flowers, and by the broad obtuse sepals.

3.C. Billardieri, Fenzl. in Ann. Wien Mus. i. 49.—A small densely tufted perennial ½–1½ in. high, rarely more. Leaves in crowded tufts, usually grassy, often flaccid, very variable in length, sometimes 1 in. long, very narrow linear or filiform, at other times shorter, ¼ in., linear-subulate; broad and membranous at the base and sheathing the stem, gradually narrowed upwards, acute or acicular at the tip. Peduncles springing from the centre of the leaf-tufts, longer or shorter than the leaves, usually elongating in the fruiting stage. Sepals 5, ovate, acute or acuminate, as long as or rather longer than the capsule. Capsule broadly ovoid, obtuse.—Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 14; Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 27; Fl. Tasm. i. 45; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 25; Benth. Fl. Austral. i. 161; Kirk, Students' Fl. 60.

Var. alpinus, Kirk, l.c.—Larger, forming tufts sometimes 4 in. diam. Leaves 1–2 in., with acicular tips. Peduncles 2–4 in. long in fruit. Sepals ovate, acuminate, rather longer than the capsule.

North Island: Mount Hikurangi, Adams and Petrie! Ruahine Mountains, Colenso; Tararua Range, Buchanan; Mount Egmont, T. F. C. South Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island, Macquarie Island: Abundant throughout. Altitudinal range from sea-level to 4500 ft. November–February. Also found in Victoria and Tasmania.

Separated from C. quitensis by the different habit, acicular tips to the leaves, pentamerous flowers, and pointed sepals. From C. Muelleri it can be distinguished by the grassy and often flaccid leaves and shorter sepals, which last are not acicular; but some forms are very difficult to place.

4.C. Muelleri, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 356.—A small densely tufted perfectly glabrous plant, ¼–1½ in. high. Leaves rigid, cartilaginous, spreading, often recurved, ¼–¾ in. long, linear-subulate, broadly channelled above, convex below, narrowed into short acicular tips. Peduncles terminal or lateral, ¼–¾ in. long, stout, often hidden among the leaves. Sepals 5, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, suddenly narrowed into cartilaginous points with acicular tips, about ⅓ longer than the capsule.—Students' Fl. 60. C Billardieri var. brachypoda, F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 11. page 68

? var. strictus, Cheesem.—Larger, sometimes forming patches 2 in. diam. Leaves strict, erect, often more than 1 in. long. Peduncles equalling or exceeding the leaves. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, narrowed into long acicular points, nearly half as long again as the capsule.

? var. multicaulis, Kirk, Students' Fl. 61.—Rigid, much branched, branches naked below. Leaves rather lax, spreading, linear-subulate, ¼ in. long. Peduncles about as long as the leaves. Sepals narrow-ovate, acute or mucronate, equalling the capsule.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Island: The typical form not uncommon from the East Cape southwards, usually on cliffs or shingly beaches. Var. strictus: Mountains of Canterbury and Otago, T. F. C. Petrie! Var. multicaulis: Interior of Otago, Buchanan!

A puzzling plant. As characterized above, it is distinguished from C. Billardieri by the rigid habit, harsh often cartilaginous leaves, and especially by the rigid acicular sepals, which are much longer than the capsule. The two varieties, when better known, may prove distinct.

5.C. brevisepalus, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 357, t. 27E.—A small densely tufted much-branched plant, forming compact rounded cushions 1–2 in. diam. Leaves densely imbricated, straight or curved, smooth and shining, ⅛–⅕ in. long, base broad and membranous, sheathing the stem, suddenly narrowed into the upper part, which is subulate, concave above, convex below, obtuse and almost tumid at the tip, abruptly produced into a short acicular point. Flowers terminal, sunk amongst the leaves. Sepals 5, ovate-subulate, convex or almost keeled, equalling or slightly longer than the oblong capsule.—Students' Fl. 61.

South Island: Marlborough—Mount Mowatt, Kirk! Canterbury—Mountains near Lake Tekapo, T. F. C. Otago—Kurow, Speargrass Flat, Cromwell, Queenstown, &c, Petrie! Ascends to nearly 6000 ft.

This appears to be a well-marked form, recognised without any difficulty by the short densely imbricated leaves with obtuse tips furnished with a fine hair-point.

6.C. Benthamianus, Fenzl in Ann. Wien Mus. i. 49.—A small densely tufted moss-like plant, forming small rounded patches about 1 in. high. Leaves densely imbricated, ⅙–¼ in. long, subulate, strict and rigid, tapering from the base to a shortly acicular apex, channelled above, convex below, sometimes with a groove between the margin and midrib. Peduncles short; flowers slightly exceeding the uppermost leaves. Sepals 5, ovate-subulate, thickened at the base, acute or very shortly mucronate, equalling or very slightly exceeding the capsule.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 61. C. subulatus, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 13 and ii. 247, t. 93; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 25; Benth. Fl. Austral. i. 160.

South Island: "Awatere Valley, and rocky places, Sinclair Range, alt. 4000 ft., Sinclair and Haast; Otago—Lake District, Hector and Buchanan." Campbell Island: Hooker, Kirk! Also found in Victoria and antarctic America.

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Like Mr. Kirk, I have not seen any South Island specimens that I can refer to this species, although small forms of C. acicularis have frequently been mistaken for it. C. Benthamianus appears to me to constantly differ from C. acicularis in the shorter and more strict leaves, with much shorter acicular points, and in the broader and shorter sepals, which can hardly be called acicular, and barely exceed the capsule. In C. acicularis the sepals are narrower, and have long acicular apices much exceeding the capsule.

7.C. acicularis, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 25.—A perfectly glabrous densely tufted rigid and shining plant, forming green or. brownish rounded tufts 3–6 in. diam. and 1–3 in. high. Leaves very numerous, densely imbricated all round the branches, ¼–¾ in. long, linear-subulate, often curved, broad and sheathing at the base, gradually narrowed into very long acicular points, channelled above, convex and smooth below. Flowers almost sessile amongst the uppermost leaves, than which they are shorter. Sepals 5, narrow linear-subulate, narrowed into long acicular tips, at least ⅓ longer than the capsule.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 62.

South Island: Dry rocky places in the mountains, abundant throughout. Altitudinal range from 1500 ft. to 6000 ft.

Well characterized by the robust stems and branches, long leaves with remarkably long acicular points, almost sessile flowers, and long sepals, which much exceed the capsule.

8.C. canaliculatus, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 357.—A small densely tufted much-branched plant, forming rounded cushions 3–4 in. diam. and 2 in. high, occasionally more laxly branched and open. Leaves in opposite pairs with broad connate sheathing bases, ⅛–⅕ in. long, rigid or chaffy, spreading, subulate, gradually narrowed into an acute or shortly acicular tip, deeply channelled above, convex below, margins thickened. Flowers ⅙ in., terminating short lateral branchlets in the axils of the uppermost leaves. Sepals 5, broadly ovate, acute or subacute, margins thin and almost translucent. Stamens 5, longer than the sepals. Hypogynous disc reduced to a thickened line. Capsules equal to or rather shorter than the sepals.—Students' Fl. 61. C. squarrosus, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 534.

South Island: Nelson—Mount Owen, on limestone rocks, alt. 4000 ft., T. F. C., W. Townson! Otago—Buchanan!

A well-marked plant, the chief characters of which are the short spreading chaffy leaves, either acute or very shortly acicular, the short stout lateral peduncles, and the broadly ovate sepals.

9.

C. Buchanani, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 358, t. 27D.—Apparently a laxly tufted plant 2–3 in. high, with slender erect stems. Leaves not imbricating, loosely spreading, ¼–½ in. long, linear-subulate, sheathing at the base, membranous, concave above, convex below, gradually narrowed into short acicular points. Peduncles axillary, slender, usually rather longer than the leaves. Flowers ⅕–¼ in. long. Sepals 5, linear-subulate, acuminate, half as long again as the short capsule.—Students' Fl. 62.

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South Island: Otago—Manuherikia Valley, Buchanan!

A most distinct plant, of which I have only seen three imperfect specimens. The slender stems, loosely spreading membranous leaves, and axillary peduncles give it a very different aspect from that of any other New Zealand species.