Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island; amongst gravel and on grassy banks near the sea. McQuarrie's Island, (Herb. Hook.)
Caulis herbaceus, repens, breviusculus, crassitie pennæ anserinæ et ultra, parce ad apicem præcipue ramosus, ramis divaricatis brevibus foliosis 1-uncialibus nodosis, ad nodos fibras crassas descendentes emittens, hie illic molliter sericeo-pilosus. Folia longe petiolata, una- cum petiolo 3- unc. ad pedalem, flaccida, molliter pilosa, multisecta, quasi pulcherrime plumosa, lato-oblonga, pinnata; pinnæ alternæ, patentes, divaricatæ, subfalcatæ, ¼–1 unc. longæ, lineari-oblongæ, superiores utrinque bipinnatifidæ, inferiores margine posteriore integro, superiore solummodo pinnatifido, segmentis linearibus acuminatis margine exteriore præcipue profunde et acute inciso-serratis. Petioli folio æquilongi, graciles, antice plani vel concavi, marginibus submembranaceis, basi longe et latissime scarioso-membranacei, vaginantes, vaginis ½ unc. longis integris striato-nervosis, ore nudo. Pedunculi gracillimi, axillares, in ramis brevissimis terminales, petiolo paulo longiores, plus minusve laxe albido sericei. Capitula solitaria, diametro circa ¼ unc., depresso-globosa. Involucrum cyathiforme; squamæ 1-seriales, æquales, basi subconnatæ, oblongæ, obtusæ, herbaceæ, floribus breviores, marginibus late scariosis denticulatis apice fusco-purpureis. Receptaculum nudum, elevatum, conicum, totum papillosum, papillis inferioribus gradatim longioribus, hinc flores radii manifeste stipitati. Flores radii fœminei, 2–3-seriales, numerosi, dense aggregati, imbricati, incurvati. Corolla structura insignis, cordato-ovata, compressa, dorso parum convexa, superne attenuata, ore obliquo 4-dentato, dentibus brevissimis obtusis unico longiore, e duplici membrana quasi formata, interiore cylindraceo gracili stylum amplectente et ejusdem formæ, apice ovarii inserta; inter has duas membranas vacua. Stylus validus, basi globoso-incrassatus, exsertus, cylindraceus, tubo interno corollæ arete vaginatus, apice bifidus, ramis brevibus obtusis dorso ad apicem hirsutulis. Achænium corolla angustius, obovatum, obcompressum, crassum, calvum, marginibus incrassatis. Semen in loculo solutum. Embryo elongato-pyriformis. Flores disci abortu masculi, tubulosi. Corolla infundibuliformis, 5-dentatus, dentibus patentibus marginibus incrassatis. Antheræ ½-exsertæ, cohærentes, ecaudatæ, filamentis linearibus ad medium tubi insertis. Stylus validus, crassiusculus, exsertus, paulo inclinatus, apice dilatato cyathiformi marginibus membranaceis integris, basi bulbosa, bulba oblongo-cylindracea. Achænium minutum, abortivum.
This is by far the most beautiful species of the genus, apparently common to the islands of the high Southern Indian and Pacific Oceans, but hitherto unknown among the Antarctic American groups. It was first detected on McQuarrie's Island, whence specimens were received by Mr. Frazer in New Holland, and by him transmitted to England; but it is not ascertained who found them, though it is more than probable they were gathered by some person accompanying a sealer. It is the only Composite plant as yet known to inhabit Kerguelen's Island, where it covers very large tracts of ground with its silvery and beautifully feathery foliage, smelling strongly, but not unpleasantly, of parsley. The female corollas of both species are represented as they being of my original sketches: when dried they seem much more compressed, their membranous texture appear in such extreme tenuity, that it is probable they never recover their original form after once being subjected to pressure.
Plate XX. Fig. 1, receptacle and part of involucrum; fig. 2, scale of involucrum; fig. 3, flower of ray in natural state; fig. 4, anterior, and fig. 5, lateral view of the same from dried specimens; fig. 6, transverse, and fig. 7, longitudinal section of the same; fig. 8, apex of style from do.; fig. 9, achænium cut open; fig. 10, flower of disc; fig. 11, portion of corolla and stamen of do.; fig. 12, style of do.:—all magnified.
3. Leptinella propinqua, Hook. fil.; tota pilis sericeis patentibus mollibus hirsuta, caule repente, foliis petiolatis glandulis impressis pellucidis punctatis oblongis obtusis basi attenuatis pinnatisectis segmentis obovatis inciso-pinnatifidis laciniis acutis, pedunculis folio brevioribus solitariis axillaribus sublanatis, involucri squamis 1–1½ serialibus oblongis obtusis extus hirsutis marginibus ad apices late scariosis denticulatis fusco-purpureis, floribus glandulosis, floris fœminei corollis ovatis achænio brevioribus, floris masculi corollis 4-fidis dentium marginibus incrassatis fuscis.
