Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/106

Colobanthus repens, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xix. 261, and C. cæspitosus, 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 1/10–1/4 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, 1/10–1/5 in., obtuse at the tip, with a short acicular point. Sepals about equal to the capsule	5. C. brevisepalus.
Leaves densely imbricate, 1/6–1/4 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, 1/8–1/4 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, 1/10–¹⁄₄ 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-