R. paucifolius.

I visited Castle Hill on the 8th November, 1919, and obtained specimens. There had been a heavy fall of snow on the 1st and 2nd November, and most of the flowers were much damaged. Between twenty and thirty blooms were observed. The flowering-date is late October and November, not December (Kirk, Cheeseman). I was able to get about a dozen specimens which had flowered after the disappearance of the snow. No buds were coming on, and the season was rather backward than otherwise.

The flower is large and showy, averaging about 1½ in. in diameter when fully expanded. I measured one exactly 2 in. in diameter.

The number of petals is from 5 to 8 or even more; the most usual number seemed to be 6. The sepals are 5. Most of the plants bear one flower only, but several were observed with two. The scape is very short, not more than 1 in. in any of my specimens. There are no cauline leaves as in R. Haastii; the sepals are pale yellow and have nothing of the peculiar character of those of R. chordorhizos. The edges of the petals, unlike those of R. chordorhizos, are entire or very nearly so, the margin being very slightly wavy.

I obtained ripe achenes at Castle Hill in December, 1918. The description in Kirk is inexact, and the achene is not distinguishable from that of R. chordorhizos.

I may add that I have in cultivation seven plants brought from Castle Hill in 1918. All are thriving, but none flowered in 1919.

The two species having been grown close together, the following points of comparison may be noted. The general coloration of the two is very similar and very curious; R. chordorhizos is, however, a little darker than R. paucifolius. The leaf of R. chordorhizos has the segments distinctly recurved; those of R. paucifolius are nearly flat. R. paucifolius is a good deal the larger plant in every way. The leaf of R. paucifolius is pitted, but not so deeply as that of R. chordorhizos. The leaves of both species are pitted when fresh, not only “when dry” (Kirk, Cheeseman).

To summarize the new facts resulting from these observations:—