acute or mucrouate, fleshy, concave above, convex or keeled beneath. Flowers solitary, axillary, 110–18 diam., white or rosy. Calyx-lobes ovate-subulate, acute. Petals 4, exceeding the calyxlobes, broadly oblong, obtuse. Scales 4. Carpels 4, ovoid; style recurved. Seeds 8.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 143.
South Island: Canterbury—Mount Torlesse and Broken River basin, Emys! Kirk! T. F. C.; Lake Tekapo, T. F. C. Otago—Maniototo and Manuherikia Plains, Petrie! 1000–3000 ft. December–January. A well-marked plant.
8. T. Sieberiana, Schultz, Mant. iii. 345.—A small pale reddish-brown succulent annual; stems 1–5 in. high, erect, simple or branched from the base. Leaves minute, 110 in. long, connate at the base, ovate-oblong or linear-oblong, subacute, thick and fleshy, concave above, convex beneath. Flowers very minute, in dense axillary clusters mixed with small leaves, at first sessile, but the peduncles usually lengthen as the fruit ripens. Sepals 4, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate. Petals shorter and narrower, acute. Scales wanting. Carpels 4, linear-oblong, nearly equalling the sepals when ripe. Seeds usually 2.—Kirk, Students Fl. 143. T. verticillaris, D.C. Prodr. iii. 382; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 521; Raoul, Choix, 48; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 75; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 62; Benth. Fl. Austral, ii. 451. T. muscosa, Forst. Prodr. n. 61 (non Linn.); A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 322.
North and South Islands: Abundant throughout, in dry rocky or gravelly places. September–January. Also common in Australia and Tasmania.
9. T. debilis, Col. ex Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 75.—A very small delicate species; stems intricate, filiform or capillary, prostrate, 2–3 in. long. Leaves in scattered pairs, minute, 116–112 in. long, ovate-oblong or linear-oblong. Flowers minute, 1 or 2 in the axils of the leaves, sessile or on slender peduncles. Sepals 4, oblong, subacute. Petals ovate-acuminate, shorter than the sepals. Scales wanting. Carpel ovate-lanceolate, 1- or 2-seeded.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 143.
North Island: East Coast, Colenso!
The only specimen I have seen of this species is a mere scrap in Mr. Colenso's herbarium, and in the absence of additional information I have reproduced the description given in the Handbook.
10. 'T. purpurata, Hook. f. in Lond. Journ. Bot. vi. (1847) 472.—A very slender delicate and fugacious annual; stems 1–2 in. high, erect or suberect, sparingly branched. Leaves remote, connate at the base, 110–16 in. long, linear, acuminate, concave above. Flowers minute, 112 in. diam., on slender pedicels that elongate much in fruit. Calyx-lobes 4, ovate, obtuse or subacute. Petals 4, equalling the calyx, acuminate. Scales wanting. Carpels broadly oblong, obtuse. Seeds numerous, usually 10–15.—Hook. f.
