Art. XLVII.—Description of New Species of Native Plants.

By D. Petrie, M.A.

exserted, and style still larger than the stamens. Achene not seen in the mature form, but apparently glabrous.

Hab. Old Man Range, 5,000 feet; and Mount Pisa, 5,000 to 6,000 feet.

A very peculiar species, having considerable affinity to C. pectinata, Hook. fil. The most remarkable point in its structure is the capital flat-topped stigma, which is common to both kinds of flowers. In some specimens the stigmatic disc shows traces of a division into two lobes, but I have seen none with anything like two branches to the style. Cotula maniototo (mihi) in this respect approaches the present species, for in all its hermaphrodite flowers the stigma is capital and flat-topped. The flowers of the outer row, on the other hand, have in C. maniototo two short arms to the style.

If this peculiarity should prove constant in the present species, and it should continue to be regarded as a Cotula, the character of the genus as now formulated will require modification. I was unfortunately unable to procure mature achenes, as my specimens were gathered about the middle of February; the mature fruit might be got in March. The plant is very common on the top of the Mount Pisa Range, and less so on the Old Man Range, above Deep Creek.

Myosotis cheesemanii, n. sp.

A small, branched, hispid perennial.

Stems several, slender, ascending, about 1 inch in length, densely hispid.

Radical leaves 7–9 lines long, spathulate-oblong, acute, 3-nerved near the base, the upper half coriaceous, the lower membranous, everywhere densely hispid with appressed stiff hairs, except on the lower third on the inner face, which is glabrous.

Cauline leaves similar, but narrower, shorter, and more acute.

Flowers, 1–4 on each stem, solitary or in pairs in the axils of the upper leaves, shortly pedicelled, 5 lines in length.

Calyx densely hispid with appressed hairs, shortly 5-lobed, the lobes acute.

Corolla white, the tube twice as long as the calyx, limb about 3 lines across.

Anthers not exserted, style projecting nearly one line beyond the corolla.

Nuts in pairs, narrow-ovate, lenticular, smooth and polished, dark-brown, with narrow wing-like ridges.

Hab. Mount Pisa Range (6,000 feet), on steep faces of shingle above the snow-drifts.

A most beautiful little plant. The flowers are conspicuous, and large for so small a plant. They have also a strong and agreeable odour, and are much frequented by insects, by which

their fertilisation is doubtless effected. I have much pleasure in dedicating the species to Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., who has done much to elucidate the New Zealand species of the genus.

I have a form of this species from Mount St. Bathan's (4,500 feet); and Mr. G. M. Thomson informs me that he has gathered the same on the Rock and Pillar Range at an altitude of 4,000 feet.

Carix berggreni, n. sp.

Small, loosely tufted, reddish-brown.

Culms very short, 1 ¼–2 inches long, flattened above, shorter than the leaves, and enclosed to the base of the head by thin broad sheathing bases.

Leaves red-brown, 2–3 inches long, flat linear, of uniform width throughout the blade, obtuse, not serrate, finely and closely striate; bases paler, membranous, sheathing, twice as broad as the blade.

Spikelets 3, unisexual; two lower female, uppermost wholly male, approximate, stout, each 3 lines long, on short slender pedicels; bracts leaf-like, sheathing, diminishing in the upper spikelets.

Glumes broadly-ovate, shorter than the utricles, membranous, obtuse, rarely mucronate, entire, 1-nerved, with dark-brown streaks and blotches.

Utricles turgid, bi-convex, elliptic-oblong, not beaked, shortly bifid, spreading, very faintly nerved, dark-brown or black above, elsewhere green.

Branches of the style, 2. Fruit, 3-angled.

Hab. Mount Pisa Range, at the head-waters of the Luggate Creek, 4,000 to 5,000 feet.

This is a most distinct species. It is most nearly related to C. uncifolia, Cheeseman, but its short red-brown obtuse ensiform leaves readily distinguish it from all its congeners in New Zealand. The male spikelet is somewhat larger than and not so stout as the female ones. Named in honour of Dr. Sven Berggren, of Upsala University, who has described and figured several New Zealand species of the genus.

Carex kirkii, n. sp.

Small, densely tufted, grass-like; forming low tussocks 1–2 ½ feet in diameter.

Culms ½–1 inch long, very slender, much shorter than the leaves, and enclosed in their sheathing bases.

Leaves 3–5 inches long, filiform, involute, slightly striate, pale-green, with short broad membranous sheathing bases.

Spikelets 3–5, forming a compact ovoid head 6–9 lines long, sessile, closely approximate, female below, male above, few-flowered; bracts variable, the lowermost usually leaf-like, the upper glume-like, all shortly sheathing at the base.