Genus 5. Astelia, Banks and Solander

1. Astelia microspermum, sp. nov.

Leaves coriaceous, sub-linear-ovate, lanceolate, very acuminate, 2 feet 3 inches to 2 feet 6 inches long, 1 ½–1 ¾ inches wide at the broadest part above, rather suddenly and much dilated at base and there 4 inches wide and greatly overlapping and triquetrous, light yellowish-green, glabrous and shining particularly at bases but the innermost leaves have a narrow band of white hairs at their bases on the outsides, the extreme base somewhat fleshy and succulent, gummy, with a white transverse band 1 inch wide, above that it is black for 2 inches or more; under a strong lens the surface below is closely cottony appressed in minute squares, sub-incurved, deeply channelled, slightly keeled below in the centre of the leaf but not so at base, 2 prominent and stout nerves equidistant from midrib, with many finer nerves; offshoots around the base of scape sharply triangular. Female scape terminal very stout, sub-triquetrous, 9 inches long, densely clothed throughout with white silky hairs that are very long at base; panicle nodding, 6–7 inches long, composed of seven slender sub-sessile racemes 4–6 inches long and about 1 inch apart, each with a very long sessile foliaceous bract sub-ovate-acuminate, half-clasping, not cordate, 16–18 inches long, 1 ½–1 ¾ inches wide at base; flowers very small, about 1 line long, excessively numerous, compact, light yellow; pedicels sub-fascicled, 2 lines long, slender, woolly; bracteoles linear, 2 lines long, white with a brown central stripe; perianths woolly on the outside, closely embracing ovary, and nerved below to anthers; segments sub-linear-ovate, obtuse, reflexed, nerveless; ovary ovate, half or more exserted; stigma sessile, spreading, trilobed, papillose; anthers linear, very slender. Fruit small, 1 ½ lines diameter, sub-globular, somewhat obtusely triquetrous, with a long produced sub-angular beak, greenish; seeds very small, 14–18 in a berry, black, shining, sub-lanceolate, convex above flattish below, produced at one end. Male (whole scape not seen), sub-peduncle thickish, obtuse, cylindrical, single raceme 3 inches long, 10 lines wide; flowers light brown, densely compact, sub-fasciculate, pedicelled; pedicels 2–3 lines long, stoutish, shaggy, with an excessively narrow linear bracteole near the base, longer than pedicel and nerved; perianth large spreading, about 1 inch diameter; segments cut to base, 4 lines long, shorter than anthers, deflexed, sub-linear-ovate, obtuse; outer 3, broader, 3-nerved, tips woolly on the outside; inner 3, 1-nerved, tips thickened; filaments 3 lines long, stout, cylindrical; anthers 2 lines long, linear, obtuse, largely hastate; ovary small, sub-triquetrous, spotted white; stigma sessile, tri-orbicular, finely papillose.