Flora of New Zealand Series

Fls in simple or branched racemes to solitary; calyx ± campanulate, 5-toothed; standard ± orbicular, clawed; keel incurved, clawed, auricled; wings ± falcate, auricled. Stamens diadelphous. Ovary with slender style (persisting as a "beak") and minute capitate stigma; ovules us. few. Fr. ("pod") dry; margins thickened, persistent ("replum"). Valves 2, hardened in fr. Both valves or one completely or partly separating from replum in dehiscence (pod ind., except rarely, in subgenera Monroella and Huttonella). Seeds 1-12 per pod, ± reniform. Shrubs or small trees, of diverse habits. Besides the N.Z. spp. there is C. exsul of Lord Howe Id, of the subgenus Carmichaelia.

SYNOPSIS OF GROWTH FORMS

• A.
• • Erect or spreading small trees or bushy shrubs
  • (a)
  • • Adult plants lfless or nearly so
    • 1.
    • • Branchlets much-compressed or flattened
      • (i)
      • • Branchlets c. 1 mm. wide:
        • arborea,ovata
      • (ii)
      • • Branchlets c. 3-5 mm. wide:
        • cunninghamii,silvatica
      • (iii)
      • • Branchlets c. 6-10 mm. wide:
        • aligera,williamsii
    • 2.
    • • Branchlets plano-convex
      • (i)
      • • Branchlets c. 1-2 mm. diam.:
        • compacta,egmontiana,flagelliformis,hookeri,rivulata
      • (ii)
      • • Branchlets c. 2-3 mm. diam.:
        • robusta,solandri
    • 3.
    • • Branchlets terete or nearly so:
      • petriei,ramosa,virgata
  • (b)
  • • Adult plants quite lfy in spring and summer:
    • angustata,glabrata,grandiflora,odorata
• B.
• • Lianoid plants with long, slender, terete, divaricate branchlets:
  • kirkii
• C.
• • Prone, decumbent or straggling plants
  • (a)
  • • Branchlets terete or nearly so:
    • appressa,compacta,curta,juncea,lacustris
  • (b)
  • • Branchlets much-compressed
    • 1.
    • • Plants prone or nearly so; branchlets 1-2-(3) mm. wide:
      • arenaria,diffusa,fieldii,floribunda,nigrans,prona
    • 2.
    • • Plants suberect or straggling; branchlets 4-8 mm. wide:
      • astonii,hollowayi
• D.
• • Depressed or dwarf lfless shrubs, with erect or spreading compressed branches us. not > 15 cm. tall
  • (a)
  • • Branches arising from stout, simple or multicipital taproot
    • 1.
    • • Branchlets thin:
      • enysii,orbiculata
    • 2.
    • • Branchlets thick:
      • astonii,monroi
  • (b)
  • • Branches arising from underground runners:
    • corrugata,uniflora,suteri

The genus has been restudied by Simpson (T.R.S.N.Z. 75, 1945, 231-287) who has recognized 8 subgenera, based on the different forms of pod-dehiscence. The subgenera may be keyed as follows, with the proviso that the valves may ultimately completely separate from the replum in all the subgenera showing dehiscence, and that in Monroella and Huttonella occ. pods may show some signs of incipient dehiscence.

Slade (T.R.S.N.Z. 80, 1952, 81-96) should be consulted for details of cladode-anatomy and lf-trace systems, with some reference to phyllotaxy. "When a laminate leaf is shed, its stipules persist as a scale, and from plants which are changing from production of laminate to production of scale leaves, it is possible to obtain a series of intermediate forms which show that the scale leaf itself is composed of more less coalesced stipules, the rest of the leaf having failed to develop (Text fig. 1 C, 1-6)."

In the keys and text branchlet-diam. is based on a number of measurements taken at about the mid-internode; pod-length includes the "beak" though this is us. also measured separately. Simpson, when mounting his type specimens, us. placed both a flowering and a fruiting specimen on the one sheet. The fruiting specimen has always been selected as the lectotype by me. There is insufficient information to give useful dates for the flowering and fruiting periods of the individual spp. Flowering commences in early spring and may continue to late summer. Ripened pods may be found from late spring to late autumn.

INCERTAE SEDIS

1. C. australis R. Br. in Lindl. Bot. Reg. 11, 1825, t. 912 was described from (a) specimens collected by Banks and Solander at Mercury Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay and near Gisborne, described by Solander under the unpublished name of Genista compressa; (b) specimens collected by Forst. f. at Dusky Sound and published (Prodr. 1786, 52) under the name Lotus arboreus; (c) a cultivated plant of uncertain provenance. Brown gave a detailed account of the genus, but not of the species; the seed-colour was not stated. Lindley remarks, "The garden plant has been compared by Mr. Brown with the specimens from Cook's voyage, in his own collection, and with an authentic specimen from George Forster's Herbarium, as well as by ourselves with others from some part of New Zealand, and no difference has been detected between them." Genista compressa is described as having the seed "pallide miniatum, punctis duobus tribusve inaequalibus nigris hic inde adspersum". T. 912 illustrates a common northern form of the complex, except that the seed appears to be represented as uniformly black. C. arborea has seeds rather pale green, much darkened by black spots and flecks, and is otherwise distinct.

Simpson (loc. cit. 247) remarks: "If, as Brown and Lindley believed, C. australis R. Br. is identical with Forster's Lotus arboreus, then Brown's specific name is illegitimate. However, it has proved impossible certainly to match Brown's description and the illustration with any species growing wild, and in the floras and herbaria ' C. australis R. Br.' is a motley assemblage of specimens in which the branchlets vary from 2 to 7 mm. wide. Some are plano-convex and striated, others are flanged to each side of a prominent midstem. The name is therefore abandoned and the definitely recognizable species are segregated in later pages." These segregates are: C. aligera Simpson, C. cunninghamii Raoul, C. egmontiana (Ckn. et Allan) Simpson, C. silvatica Simpson, C. solandri Simpson. I was unable to examine the specimens in BM, but it is possible that further study would enable Brown's name to be retained, with a type selected from Banks and Solander specimens. C. cunninghamii Raoul is described as having the seed " lutescens " and the illustration shows no spots. Simpson (loc. cit. 252) gives the seeds as " orange-red (in some forms mottled with black)."

2. C. diffusa Petrie in T.N.Z.I. 25, 1893, 272. Petrie's description includes: " A low, slender, semi-erect, branched shrub. Branches slender. grooved and striate, narrow, compressed, glabrous. Racemes short, of 6 or fewer flowers . . . Flowers ⅛ in. long on short pilose pedicels. Calyx glabrous . . . hardly toothed; ovary glabrous . . . Pods 1/6 in. long, 1/10 in. wide, bluntly and broadly obovate, abruptly narrowed into a very short, straight, subulate beak . . . replum strong . . . Seeds . . . 1/11 in. long, 1/15 in. broad . . . yellow-brown with dark green or blackish spots. Hab. East coast of Otago, near the mouth of the Otepopo River." Simpson (loc. cit. 260) who several times examined the type locality, states: "Plants of this species have not been found nor are specimens from exactly the type locality preserved in Petrie's or other herbaria." He describes specimen No. 224/239 in W (labelled " C. diffusa Petrie. Type of species. Terraces on coast south of Oamaru towards Kakanui Mouth") as having "branchlets . . . 1 mm. diam., rounded and compressed. Pods 5 mm. × 3 mm., broadly or obliquely oblong and rounded at the ends, wrinkled by heavy veining, dark brown with heavy pale brown margins, with short, stout, subulate beak. Seeds 1-2 but discoloured." In the type cover at K is one sheet with two fruiting pieces and one flowering, and a packet of valves with a few seeds. The label reads "No. 280 Carmichaelia diffusa sp. nov. East Coast of Otago, near Otepopo river. Recd. March 29, 1894." Branchlets ± 1 mm. wide; fls ± 2 mm. long, calyx nearly glab., teeth obscure; ripe pods with dark brown valves, ± 4 mm. long; beak ± 1 mm. long; seeds now dark red-brown, mottled black; dehiscence complete.

3. C. juncea Col. ex Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 1, 1852, 51. Hooker's description is: "ramulis floriferis tenuibus tereti-compressis, racemis brevibus sub-umbellatis, pedicellis sub calyce bracteolatis, ovario glabro, legumine ovoideo v. oblongo parvo (1-11/2 lin.) breviter rostellato. Var. β; legumine 2 lin. longo. Var. γ. parviflora; floribus minimis. Benth. MSS. HAB. Northern and Middle Islands. East Cape, Sinclair. Hawkes' Bay and Taupo, Colenso. Akaroa, Raoul. . . . Pods usually very small, hardly a line long, turgid, with a long curving rostrum; the valves turgid, and more membranous than is usual in the genus." The specimens in K are indifferent. There are 4 sheets: (1) " Canterbury Plains, Travers "; (2) " 3796, C. juncea var. parviflora. Type specimen: Colenso ". Fls immature, tiny; (3) " 2038, Hawke's Bay, Taupo ", lfless, barren; and " East Cape, Dr. Sinclair ", barren; (4) " Colenso, Hawke's Bay and Taupo ", a few racemes and pods. Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 116) gives localities in both N. and S., but indicates that two spp. may be involved. Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 524) also cites localities in both islands, but remarks: " Apparently rare and local. The only North Island specimens I have seen are Mr. Colenso's, collected many years ago, and which must be taken as the type of the species." Simpson (loc. cit. 283) drew up his description from the Colenso specimens in A, and considered that the sp. had not again been found.

4. C. nana Col. ex Hook. f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 49 was based on " C. australis Br. var. β. nana; ramulis floriferis brevissimis (1-2-uncialibus) confertis crassiusculis rigidis aphyllis" (Fl. N.Z. 1, 1852, 50). The specimens came from " Dry and mountainous country at the base of Tongariro, Colenso." In the Handbook various specimens from South Id are included. In the type cover at K is one sheet with five gatherings, three from South Id, one without locality. The fifth gathering is labelled: " 1156 Carmichaelia nana n. sp. W. C. Plants from the interior of N. Zealand, gleaned from the country between 38° and 39° S., and 1751/2° and 177° E." There is one branched piece, sterile; branchlets 3-4 mm. wide, flattened. The material does not allow of a satisfactory lectotype. Kirk (Stud. Fl. 1899, 109) accepts the sp. as covering plants from " open country, Lake Taupo, Ngauruhoe, Tongariro, Ruapehu, &c . . . abundant, Nelson to Central Otago." Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 517) gives the same range. Simpson (loc. cit. 269) considered that C. nana was described " from specimens of the two widely differing plants later described by Colenso as C. orbiculata and C. corrugata ". He therefore abandoned C. nana as a nomen confusum.

5. C. stricta Lehm. in Hamb. Gart. u. Blumen Zeit. 8, 1852, 372. " C. ramosissima, 2-3-pedalis, ramulis erectis strictis ancipitibus subaphyllis glaberrimis; foliis ternatis vel simplicibus, foliolis ovatis deciduis; racemis e denticulis ramulorum erectis simplicibus glaberrimis laevissimis rostratis. Differt a Carmichaelia australi R. Br., cui proxime accedit statura minore, ramulis brevioribus angustioribusque confertissimis strictis, foliolis ovatis. Carmichaelia Cunninghamii Raoul a nostra differt statura multo robustiore, ramulis foliosis, leguminibus transverse rugosis."

Hooker (Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 50) places the name as a synonym of C. australis Raoul. Kirk and Cheeseman ignore it, as does Simpson. It appears to belong to the "australis" complex.

6. C. subulata Kirk Stud. Fl. 1899, 112. "Erect, slender, 1 ft.-2 ft. high, leafy or leafless . . . branchlets compressed or plano-convex, 1/20 in.-1/12 in. broad, rigid, grooved or striated, strict, often elongated, rarely twisted . . . Racemes solitary or fascicled, forming loose corymbs. Rhachis and pedicels puberulous or almost silky . . . Calyx . . . teeth short, acute . . . Ovary glabrous; ovules 3-4. Pod 1/4 in. ⅜ in. long, subulate, acuminate; beak short, straight, stout. Seeds usually 2 . . . Distinguished from all other species by the slender, strict, almost filiform branchlets and subulate pods." Kirk gives as localities: Whakamarina, Cheviot; Burnham, Lincoln, Akaroa, etc.; Broken River and "Otago, Buchanan!" Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Fl. 1925, 518) gives practically the same description, adding " turgid " to the description of the pod. Simpson (loc. cit. 247) after an examination of the specimens in Kirk's herbarium (at W) stated: " None is complete enough to be taken as a satisfactory type specimen; nor do the diagnostic characters given by Kirk suffice to enable any of the specimens so far examined to be placed without doubt in his C. subulata. A truly subulate pod is unknown in the genus ". He rejects the name " as being both a nomen confusum and based on specimens with immature or partly monstrous pods."

Fig. 15. CARMICHAELIA. Pods. THOMSONIELLA: C. grandiflora, apical dehiscence. CARMICHAELIA: C. aligera (a) valves partly free, (b) persistent replum with seeds; C. flagelliformis, dehiscence incomplete. PETRIEA: C. virgata, valves opening at base, not yet curled. KIRKIELLA: C. kirkii var. strigosa, dehiscence incomplete. ENYSIELLA: C. enysii var. ambigua, undehisced. SUTERELLA: C. corrugata, undehisced. MONROELLA: C. astonii, incipient dehiscence at base; C. monroi, indehiscent. HUTTONELLA: C. nigrans, indehiscent. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X0X]