Flora of New Zealand Series

type: K).

Rhizome with short internodes up to c. 2 cm. long. "Phyllodes" clustered at nodes, up to ± 5 cm. long, linear-spathulate, apex blunt. Umbels 3-4-fld, on peduncles ± 2 cm. long; pedicels filiform, up to c. 5 mm. long. Fr. orbicular, 2-2.5 × 2·25-2.5 mm.; ribs indistinct; vittae 5-7.

DIST.: N. Maunganui Bluff, north of Kaihu, near sea level, Petrie, 1896; Auckland, Cheeseman, Dec. 1878, in Herb. Edinb.; Tutira, Hawke's Bay, Guthrie Smith, March 1928 (

As I have seen only imperfect material the description of the fr. is taken from that of Hill.

REMARKS

The N.Z. spp. show a considerable range of form, according to habitat, and cannot be clearly distinguished in the absence of ripe fr. Hill, J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 47, 1927, 527, refers to and illustrates "a lacustrine form from Rotokakahi, New Zealand (L. lacustris A. W. Hill), which shows in one or two cases either a single leaflet or a pair of leaflets at most of the septa of the 'leaf' or rather phyllode, as I prefer to regard the leafy organ (text-fig. 1, p. 528)." Kirk's specimens from Rotokaka in W show "phyllodes" up to c. 2 dm. long, without any sign of "leaflets". Mixed with these are 3 smaller plants of Myriophyllum votschii with opp. lvs ± 1 mm. long.

Stevenson (T.R.S.N.Z. 76, 1947, 581) describes sterile plants growing in a water reservoir near Wellington; "large areas of mud, many square metres in extent under shallow water, were covered exclusively by a dense sward of a Lilaeopsis species. This plant, which was growing only under water, had freely running rhizomes closely interlaced with membranous, terete, septate leaves, 6 to 36 cm. long and 3-4 mm. in diameter." Aquarium cultures did not flower during two years. Later the water surface was allowed to fluctuate "and two inflorescences each with three flowers were preserved, others being left for chances of fruit, but none were found . . . Some of the Morton reservoir material and the flowering specimens from the aquarium had very small processes approximately 0·1 mm. long." The paper adds useful ecological information.

Specimens of a Lilaeopsis collected by W. Travers on Chatham Id are in W, with a Herb. Colonial Mus. label. The frs are immature but may be those of L. novae-zelandiae.