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Volume 26, 1893
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Art. XXXIII.—Phænogams: A Description of a few Newly-discovered Indigenous Plants; being a Further Contribution towards the making known the Botany of New Zealand.

By William Colenso, F.R.S., F.L.S. (Lond.), &c.

[Read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 9th October, 1893.]

Class I. Dicotyledons.

Order I. Ranunoulaceæ.
Genus 3.* Ranunculus, Linn.

1. R. sychnopetala, mihi.

Having this year received perfect specimens of the flowers of this fine plant, I can now supply what was wanting in the former description of it.† Achenes numerous, roughish, sub 50, styles much produced 1 line long erect and slightly recurved, greenish-yellow; tips minutely penicillate; receptacle elongated, ovoid. The anthers are also placed in 4 rows, the outer 2 rows patent, the inner 2 rows shorter, erect. While, however, the flowers were perfect, and in good condition for examination, they were not advanced enough to enable me to say much of their achenes, the same being unripe.

Hab. (with former-described). Norsewood; Mr. A. Olsen: 1893.

Order XXII. Leguminosæ.
Genus 1. Carmichælia, Br.

1. C. micrantha, sp. nov.

“A much-branched erect shrub, about 8ft.-9ft. high”; branches terete, tawny-yellow-green, glabrous; my specimen, the top of a large branch about 1ft. long, 2 ½ lines diameter at base where cut off, the bark curiously (almost symmetrically) closely split-fissured longitudinally; fissures lanceolate sub 1 line long ultimately coalescing, with purple-coloured edges,

[Footnote] * The numbers of the orders and genera given here are those of them in the “Handbook of the New Zealand Flora.”

[Footnote] † Vide Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxiv., p. 324.

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[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

minutely transversely and regularly nicked; branchlets numerous alternate dichotomous, straight, striate, 8in.-9in. long, slender, terete, the larger ones about 1 line diameter, the youngest wiry, filiform, and pubescent; hairs scattered, weak, white, with many stem-clasping broad obtuse bracts near each other at their tips. Leaves O. Flowers very numerous, usually in small depressed corymbs of 5, sometimes 2, and sometimes only 1 flower, on the smaller branchlets. Peduncle and pedicels nearly equal in length, short sub 1 line long, pilose, with many fawn-coloured scarious bracteoles, their edges jagged. Calyx dry, semi-scarious, loose, large for flower, half as long as corolla, slightly pilose; margins sinuate and minutely-toothed, finely ciliolate. Corolla less than 1/10in. long, standard purple with dark veins. Pod (immature) glabrous, small, about 1 line long, narrow-linear-ovoid, acuminate; beak much longer than pod, curved; stigma capitate, roughly penicillate.

Hab. Edges of forest, head of Rangitikei River, County of East Taupo; Mr. Patrick Stirling McLean: 1893.

Obs. After close examination I have decided to bring this plant forward as a species nova of this curious genus; at the same time I am not wholly satisfied concerning it, through not having seen its ripe fruit. Its whole aspect, however, is peculiar, and apparently differing from its congeners,—in its numerous terete long and filiform yellow-green branchlets with their curiously-fissured bark, and the different disposition of its flowers, with their numerous-coloured bracteoles; unfortunately, its fruit was immature. The one large specimen I received is evidently the upper portion of a large branch, and is about 12in. long.

Order XXVI. Droseraceæ.
Genus 1. Drosera, Linn.

1. D. circinervia, sp. nov.

Root simple, slender, straight, 1 ½in. long, broken(?). Leafy stem slender, erect, simple, 8in. high, glabrous. Leaves largely glandular-hairy on upper surface and at margins, their glandular apices small, elliptic, red. Lower leaves at summit of the stock 8, subrosulate spreading, suborbicular not peltate, 1 ½ lines diameter, decurrent; petioles 6–7 lines long, stoutish; stem-leaves 11, peltate, nearly equidistant throughout stem sub ¾in. apart, lunate, truncate on the straight side, and there 3 lines broad, the 2 angles largely produced and bearing at their tips 4–5 very long flexuous cilia: the curvilinear margin much narrowly laciniate-fringed; the two principal nerves biorbicular from the insertion of the petiole; petioles filiform sub 1in. long. Flowers (immature) small(?) at top of stem, in

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a small branched sub-corymb; pedicels about 1 line long. Sepals glabrous, smooth, black.

Hab. Open lands; Taupo: 1885.

Obs. I. This plant is nearly allied to D. auriculata, Backh. and also to D. peltata, Sm., differing, however, from the former in its lower leaves being not peltate with long petioles, and from the latter in its lower leaves being decurrent on longer and narrower petioles, and from both in the largely laciniate margins of its leaves, their greatly extended angles, and their peculiar orbicular venation. Its flowers are also differently disposed, not being racemose and with smooth sepals.

II. I received this plant several years ago, with others, from Taupo; and from its being immature I refrained from describing it, as I had been led to expect more complete specimens. It stains the drying-papers red, like others of its genus; and I believe, from its long slender simple and broken tap-root, that, like some of them, it also arises from a bulb. Having but a single specimen, which, though not fully developed, is entire, allowance must be made for not giving any description of its floral parts.

Order XXIX. Onagrarieæ.
Genus 2. Epilobium, Linn.

1. E. nanum, sp. nov.

[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

Plant very small, glabrous, erect, 2 ½in. high; stem simple red slender, minutely bifariously puberulent on the basal portion; leaves few, opposite, distant 2 ½ lines apart on stem, linear-lanceolate, sub 2 lines long, subacute, with 1 (rarely 2) very small blunt teeth at lateral margins, thickish, green, subpruinose, tapering, the basal half of midrib below red prominent; petiole very short, stout. Flower solitary, axillary near top less than 1 line long; corolla perfect but unexpanded, white; calyx shorter than corolla, grey, lobes sub-acute with red margins, and a red central line; capsule 2/10in. long, slender, glabrous, green, scarcely tetragonal; peduncle 6/10in. long, thickly puberulent with short white curved hairs.

Hab. Among other low herbage (as Nertera, Utricularia, Hydrocotyle, &c.); marshy spots, high land base of Mount Tongariro, Taupo district; January, 1893: Mr. H. Hill. (Received in living tufts, as dug up.)

Obs. Of this little plant I have only obtained two specimens, both alike in size, &c., but one only bearing a flower. The regular shape of their small narrow leaves, and their strictly-erect growth, the simple stem without any basal branches, or root-stock buds, serve to mark it as being distinct from the other small indigenous species of this genus, which

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are creeping plants with round leaves. The puberulous lines on their lower stems are excessively minute, and can only be detected with a strong lens. The curved close hairs on the peduncle are a curious and pleasing object. More specimens are a desideratum.

Order XXXIX. Compositæ.
Genus 17. Senecio, Linn.

1.S. dimorphocarpos, sp. nov.

Plant perennial, herbaceous, glabrous (primâ facie), but with a few slightly-scattered weak woolly hairs. Main stems stout, erect, 2ft.-3ft. high, 3–4 lines diameter, striate, purple. Leaves basal (root-stock), subrosulate, spreading, obovate-spathulate, 5 ½in. long (including petiole), 1 ¼in. broad, deeply pinnatifid, lobes cut bluntly laciniate and crisped adnate (sursum currens), the lowermost very small, almost pinnate; petiole 1 ½in.-2in. long, narrowed, deeply sulcate, succulent; cauline, on main stems, numerous, alternate 6–12 lines distant, thin, obovate, much tapering, tip broad, 12in. long, 3in.-4in. wide near top, sub-lyrate-pinnate; segments large and close above on rhachis, small and very distant below, irregularly and deeply laciniate-lobed (subpinnatifid), lobes distantly and bluntly toothed, decreasing rapidly in size downwards and very small near base, dark-green above paler beneath, slightly hairy; hairs short, weak, and scattered, woolly on veins; veins few filiform and prominent; the young immature leaves densely woolly; scurfy on undersurface; midrib (or rhachis) narrow; petiole (or lowest rhachis) 1in.-2in. long, slender, slightly expanding and subamplexicaul at base; leaves on branches, distant, oblong, elliptic, much more narrowly cut, laciniate, flaccid, spreading, 3in.-5in. long, 2in.-2 ½in. broad, decreasing in size upwards and extending to bases of panicle branches. Flower-heads rather large, 10–11 lines diameter, numerous in a loose terminal irregular many-branched subcorymbose panicle 4in. wide; branchlets long, dichotomous, and very slender; peduncles about 1in. long, slender, striate, single and two together, finely and slightly downy, each having 4–6 scattered long linear bracteoles. Involucre cup-shaped or suburceolate, glossy within, the bracts 13 cut to base, 1 ½ lines long and ½ line wide, imbricate, suboblong-ovate, acuminate, green with wide membranous white margins, prominently 2-nerved; nerves dark-green; tips acute, dark-brown-purple, very hairy and ciliolate with a few (5–8) scattered linear (almost filiform) bracteoles at base, their tips very acute and coloured like those of involucre. Ray-florets generally 13, ligula (without the tube) 3 ½ lines long, linear-lanceolate obtuse with a single notch at tip,

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bright-yellow, spreading (but revolute in age), 4-veined; the tube exceedingly slender, roughish subscaberulous. Disk florets numerous, darker yellow, scarcely exceeding the involucre, the tube infundibuliform subangular, 5-nerved; nerves dark-coloured; style long, hairy, lobes large, stout, much arched, tips truncate and finely penicillate; anthers tailed, obtuse, slightly and sparingly roughish subtuberculate, enlarged (tumid) at base. Achenes pale linear subterete—of ray glabrous, truncate at both ends, slightly curved and more cylindrical than those of disk; of disk, hairy, striate, slightly tapering, thickest at top. Pappus white—of disk numerous, straight, barbed, acute, shorter than floret; of ray few (4–6) smaller flexuous and weaker. Receptacle subhemispherical, alveolate, the ridges minutely toothed.

Hab. In gullies, Kaweka Mountain - range, County of Hawke's Bay; 1892: Mr. F. W. C. Sturm.

Obs. I. A fine-looking plant, having affinity with S. latifolius, Hook. fil., though differing in several important characters; and in its two forms of achenes, &c., with S. jacobæa, Linn., a British and European species, which evidently belongs to the same natural section.

II. I have received some large and good specimens of this plant from its kind discoverer, but not a complete plant, so I do not know its root-stock, neither if it is much branched at the root; I have, however, a fine young plant in my garden.

2. S. areolatus, sp. nov.

Plant herbaceous, erect 15in-18in. high(?), glandular, hairy, with more or less of white scurf. Main stems 12in.-14in. long, slender, striate, having 4–5 distant branches at top, each with a long leaf at base. Leaves (cauline) few, distant about 2in. apart on main stems, membranous, dark-green, 2in-3in. long, subobovate in outline, irregularly and deeply pinnatifid, narrowed into a petiole, sessile and stem-clasping, base much dilated and lobed, auricles toothed, lobes few long narrow acuminate, margins thickened and distantly toothed; teeth indurated, black; veinlets numerous, closely and compoundly anastomosing. Flower-heads rather small, in a loose, spreading, subcorymbose panicle; subpanicles 3in.-4in. long, very slender, dichotomous, with a single long leaf at bases; peduncles about 2in. long, filiform, each bearing 6–10 heads on capillary pedicels 3–4 lines long. Involucre cylindrical 4-lines long, a little shorter than florets and pappus, green, scabrid, about 15 linear acuminate bracts, tips acute, irregular in width, with white membranous margins, 1–2 nerved; nerves pale, prominent, with a few long, narrow, scattered bracteoles below. Florets very slender, tubes capillary—of ray, few, sub 12, ligula yellow, very small, much

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revolute, 4-nerved; of disk, numerous, about 60, bell-mouthed, 5-cleft, segments erect, subacute. Receptacle pitted, alveolar ridges somewhat regularly and acutely toothed. Pappus numerous, white, soft, slightly scabrid. Achene narrowly oblong, striate, contracted under pappus, edges strigillose-pubescent; tip obtuse, with a central capillary point. Arms of style long and much arched, tips terete, thickened.

Hab. High hills, eastern slopes of Ruahine Mountain-range, west of Woodville, County of Waipawa; 1893: Mr. H. Hill.

Obs. I have received only flowering-stems (three) of this plant, roughly and hastily gathered; their cauline leaves, being tender, bruised and much broken, so that allowance must be made for their description: their thickly anastomosing veins, together with the peculiar strigillose pubescence of the achenia and the general glandular pubescence of the plant, afford good characters. It has much the appearance of an Erechtites, and at first sight I had supposed it to belong to that small genus.

Order XL. Stylidieæ.
Genus 2. Helophyllum, Hook. f.

1. H. muscoides, sp. nov.

[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

Plant low cæspitose compact, spreading, forming pretty large mat-like patches. Branches 1 ½in. long, each bearing 2-3-4 small branchlets about ½in. long at top, their tops being nearly equal. Leaves closely imbricated all round stems, glabrous, linear, semi-terete, thick, 1 ½ lines long, 1/25in. broad, wider and flatter at base, which is also white and glossy; apex obtuse, slightly spathulate and knobbed, brownish-yellow and orange, the young leaves bright-green. Flower solitary on tip of branchlet, white, star-like; calyx 6 linear lobes, obtuse, length of tube, glabrous; corolla 6-parted, segments oblong, obtuse, distant, each 1 line long, equal, spreading flat on leaves; style erect, much exserted, white; stigma penicillate, with 2 small pale-coloured anthers underneath, adpressed.

Hab. Tongariro Mountain, Taupo; 1893: Mr. H. Hill.

Obs. A species near to H. colensoi, Hook. f., but with very much smaller and differently-shaped leaves. All the flowers I have seen (nearly a dozen) were 6-lobed and regular.

Order LV. Lentibularieæ.
Genus 1. Utricularia, Linn.

1. U. vulcanica, sp. nov.

Scape simple, erect, filiform, 1 ½in.-2in. high; 1-flowered (one specimen 2-flowered), purplish-brown, glabrous, 4 simple bracteoles sublinear obtuse, narrowest at tips adpressed in a

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[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

semi-whorl 1 line below flower; capillary rootlets very fine. Leaves 2 (or 3) at base, narrow linear-spathulate, obtuse, ½in.-1in. long, 1/25in. (or less) wide, 1-nerved, weak, spreading; petiole long and very narrow. Calyx sepals unequal, cut to base, suborbicular concave, purplish-green, shining, veined; veins simple; margins undulate, whitish; the tip of the smaller segment emarginate. Corolla yellowish(?) with purple veins 3 lines diameter, upper lip subovate obtuse; the lower lip sub-3-lobed spreading; spur ascending transversely obtuse; anthers large, suborbicular, purple; style short, stout; stigma linear, brown. Capsule globose, 1/10in. diameter, very membranous, shining. Seed small, pale, oblong, shining, tips rounded, base narrower truncate, sides straight.

Obs. This little plant is allied to U. subsimilis, mihi* (also detected in similar situations in the interior Taupo country at a lower altitude), but differing in size, in form and colour of corolla, &c.; better specimens are, however, much wanted. I received from Mr. Hill a large number of specimens, but they were all more or less damaged through having been closely packed, as they were collected in little wet turfy tufts with other small plants. One character, however, was common to them all—that of size and height.

Class II. Monocotyledons.

Order I. Orchideæ.
Genus 3. Bolbophyllum, Thouars.

1. B. ichthyostomum, sp. nov.

[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

Plant small, epiphytal, prostrate, creeping, densely matted. Stems slender, 3in.-5in. long, tortuous, dry, whitish, longitudinally striate, emitting many thickish terete succulent white rootlets, their tips obtuse. Pseudo-bulbs on upper side of stems ⅓in.-½in. apart, sessile, ovoid, 1/6in. long and sub-globular, 1/10in. diameter, wrinkled, glabrous, shining, pale-green. Leaves, 1 to each bulb at top, with a narrow circular sheath at base, oblong and oblong-ovate (sometimes oblong-lanceolate), tip obtuse, sometimes slightly retuse, 1 ½-2 lines long, deeply sulcate, thickish, slightly recurved, minutely and regularly rough-dotted-hairy above, and with minute micro-scopical circular dots below, obsoletely parallel-nerved, 3 nerves on each side of midrib visible between the eye and light; margins closely ciliolate with coarse, stiff, patent, obtuse hairs, petiolate; petioles short, 1/20in. long, stout, glabrous. Flowers very small, few, solitary, scattered, white; peduncle arising from under bulb, stout, erect, 2 lines long, with a simple sheathing scarious bract near the top; perianth (post

[Footnote] * Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xvi., p. 334.

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[The section below cannot be correctly rendered as it contains complex formatting. See the image of the page for a more accurate rendering.]

anthesin) adhering to tip of upper valve of ovary (marces-cent), expanded about 1 line diameter; sepals and petals ovate-deltoid obtuse, silvery-shining, very membranous; ovary large, subobovoid, gibbous, 2 lines long, yellow, thickly glandular-echinate (as, also, top of peduncle above bract), bivalved; valves gaping, but not to base largely concave, dis similar, broad, 1/10in. diameter, obtuse; margins undulate uneven, thickened; the upper and larger valve with 2 lateral nerves; the lower 1 central one. Seeds very minute, sub-fusiform, thin, white, scarious.

Hab. On trunks of trees, forest near Kumeroa, River Manawatu, County of Waipawa; May, 1893: Mr. H. Hill.

Obs. I. This interesting little plant is allied to B. pygmæum, Lind., which prima facie it closely resembles, differing largely, however, on close examination, particularly in its glandular-echinate ovary and leaf. It is also a still smaller species. The ripe capsule gaping so curiously at its sutures, somewhat resembling the open mouth of a fish, is the cause of its specific name.

II. Although I received a large patch, or mat, of the plant (about 4in.-5in. each way), I only detected 6–7 pale-yellow capsules, all alike in size and form, and broadly gaping, and each bearing its minute withered flower, the plant being long past flowering, so that all allowance must be made for the imperfect description of the perianth. The microscopic seeds were also plentifully shed, scattered like dust over the neighbouring plants. Perfect flowers are much desired.

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