times over ½ in. long, upper often very small, 18–14 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 18–16 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.
