Branches short, with the leaves on ⅙ inch diameter, closely compacted, and terminating on the surface in numerous small firm knobs. Leaves imbricating in many series, ⅛ inch long, spathulate, rounded at top, membraneous, 1-nerved, with dense patches of pale blueish-green hairs on both surfaces above the middle, and exceeding the tip of the leaf. Heads very small, 1/10 inch diameter, 10–14-flowered; flowers dark crimson, in two series, inner bisexual, outer pistiliferous only, pistil sometimes 3-cleft, involucral scales numerous, glabrous, narrow-linear and rounded at the entire tip, or linear-spathulate with radiating tips. Pappus of few rigid, broad, or flattishshaped hairs, thickened towards the tip, and incised along its length.

Hab.—Mount Holdsworth, Tararua range, North Island, 4,500 feet alt., 1882.

Plate XXX., fig. 2, plant nat. size; 2 a, leaf; 2 b, floret; 2 c, scale; 2 d, pappus hair.

This plant is closely allied to Raoulia eximia, Hook. fil., from the Canterbury Mountains, and difficult to describe botanically as possessing much difference, yet its smaller size and bright red fragrant flowers present such contrasts as to claim for it a distinguishing name. This is the first occasion on which the vegetable sheep, as this and other species of Raoulia and Haastia are popularly named, have been collected in the North Island, affording an additional link in connecting the alpine floras of both islands.