Descriptions of New Native Flowering-plants.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 55, 1924, Page 434

Descriptions of New Native Flowering-plants. By D. Petrie, M.A., Ph.D., F.N.Z.Inst. [Read before the Auckland Institute, 27th November, 1923; received by Editor, 31st December, 1923; issued separately, 30th July, 1924.] 1. Senecio Spedeni sp. nov. Species S. Monroi Hk. f. similis; differt habitu humili, foliis angustioribus, sessilibus, integris, obtusis v. subacutis; acheniis tenuibus, apice ± dilatatis, glaberrimis. A compactly-branched densely leafy depressed shrub, about 18 in. (45 cm.) high and some 24 in. (60 cm.) across. Main branches from base, the lower spreading close to ground, the others suberect and ending in corymbosely-arranged one-headed branchlets. Leaves closely placed, more or less imbricating, narrow obovate-oblong, ⅜ in. (15 mm.) long, ¼ in. (6 mm.) broad, obtuse or subacute, coriaceous, entire, strongly viscid, gradually narrowed to sessile base, above glabrous and closely punctulate, below clothed with closely appressed whitish tomentum, midrib and slightly diverging veins obscure. Flowering branchlets about 8, closely placed in corymbose fashion near their tips, ± 2 in. (5 cm.) long, slender, smoothly tomentose, each bearing a single flower-head; bracts rather distant, like the leaves but narrower. Heads ± turbinate, ± ½ in. (9 mm.) wide; involucral bracts 10–12, linear, acute, tomentose; ray florets 8–10, yellow; achenes linear, slender, grooved, glabrous, somewhat dilated at the tips. Hab.—Richardson Range, Lake County, near Minor Peak (on the track to Lake Luna), circa 4,000 ft.: J. Speden Mr. Speden has had this plant in cultivation for several years. I have seen cultivated specimens only. Its dwarf compact habit, shining foliage, and abundant flowers make it a charming garden-plant. 2. Senecio Matthewsii sp. nov. Species S. lapidoso Cheesem. affinis; differt habitu altiore, ramis confertis numerosis tenuibus, suberectis v. ascendentibus; foliis multo minoribus, tenuioribus, integris, subacutis, ± longi-petiolatis, a latere superiore haud v. vix tomentosis; bracteis majoribus; acheniis brevibus, linearibus, glaberrimis, ± sulcatis. A low much-branched shrub, 1 ½ ft. (4.5 dcm.) high or more. Stems short, giving off from base numerous suberect or ascending much-subdivided branches, leafy chiefly at and near tips, forming compact rounded head; bark loose, thin, brownish; ultimate twigs clothed more or less with silky pubescence. Leaves closely placed, spathulate or subspathulate (petiolar part as long as or shorter than blades), ¾-1 ¼ in. (15–21 mm.) long and about half as broad, thin, subacute, entire, in age almost glabrous above (± tomentose when young), below closely clothed with appressed whitish subtomentose pubescence, veins obscure, midrib evident on both surfaces. Flowering branchlets several, closely placed, slender, 2–3 in. (5-7.5 cm.) long; bracts rather distant, becoming shorter and narrower upwards. Heads solitary, terminal, turbinate, about ¼ in. (6 mm.) across; involucral scales linear-oblong, acute, tomentose; ray florets 12–15, oblong, obtuse, more or less eroded at tips, conspicuously nerved. Achenes short linear-oblong, grooved, glabrous, narrowed at the base.

Hab.—Slopes of Mount Diana, Lake County, Otago, in damp rather open stations at the edge of forest: W. A. Thomson! Mr. Thomson has sent me all the specimens examined. These he grew in his garden at Half-way Bush, Dunedin. He has also supplied a photograph of the wild plant in situ. The species is named in honour of Henry J. Matthews, whose investigations shed so much light on the flora of western Otago. 3. Senecio remotifolius sp. nov. Species S. elaeagnifolio Hk. f. affinis; differt habitu late patente robusto, ramis elongatis, foliis latioribus ao tenuioribus, petiolis longis gracilibus, inflorescentia laterali laxa. A shrub 4–6 ft. high or more, with rather few widely-spreading more or less subdivided branches. Leaves broadly elliptic, 4–5 in. long exclusive of the petioles, 2·2/2–3 in. wide, subacute, firm but scarcely coriaceous, margins obscurely sinuate in upper half, midrib and veins conspicuous on both surfaces, dull green above with scattered patches of white tomentum chiefly along midrib and veins, below clothed with pale-yellow or greyish-yellow appressed tomentum; petioles about as long as blades, grooved above, clothed with greyish tomentum. Inflorescence axillary towards ends of branches, subpaniculate, 5–6 in. long; rhachis zigzag, giving off below several alternate short more or less divaricating few-flowered branches subtended by small foliaceous bracts, upper portion linear, simple, the whole inflorescence clothed with greyish-white tomentum. Heads on short pedicels, discoid, ⅓ in. in diameter; involucral bracts about 8, linear, tomentose. Florets about 12, limb of corolla narrow funnel-shaped, rather deeply 5-toothed, segments revolute. Achene linear, shortly pilose. Hab.—North Island. Open rocky places near mouth of Mokau River; not common: W. A. Thomson! The only specimen seen came from a plant grown in Mr. Thomson's garden at Half-way Bush, Dunedin. He has had it in cultivation for several years. 4. Dracophyllum Adamsii sp. nov. Frutex conferte ramosus, 10 dcm. (40 in.) altus v. ultra; ramis tenui bus, apices versus multo divisis, ramulos pertenues laterales plerumque paucifoliatos inflorescentiam brevem terminalem gerentes edentibus. Foliis tenuibus, conferte imbricatis, complanatis v. ± concavis, lineari-acuminatis, sensim ad apices longe acuminatos subpungentes angustatis; laminis ± 7·5 cm. (3 in.) longis, basi 2–3 mm. latis, plane v. vix auriculatis; basi vaginante expanso; racemis spiciformibus, haud pedunculatis, angustis, ± 2 ½; cm. (1 in.) longis, paucifloris; floribus (ad 10) parvis, sessilibus, arcte dispositis, ± 5 mm. longis; sepalis ovato-lanceolatis, acutis, a marginibus ciliatis; corollae tubo angusto, calyce ⅓ longiore, lobis ovatis subacutis patentibus v. ± reflexis; staminibus corollae tubum aequantibus; capsula matura calyce ⅓ breviore. A much-branched bushy shrub, 3 ft, high or more. Main branches rather slender, much subdivided above; bark greyish-brown; branchlets short, very slender, spreading or ascending, most closely ringed by scars of fallen leaves, leafy at tips; flowering twigs 4 in long, generally bearing few leaves; terminal shoots densely clothed for most of their length with larger and broader leaves. Leaves closely imbricating, ascending or spreading, 3 in. long, 2–3 mm. wide at base, narrow linear-acuminate, tapering

uniformly to acicular subpungent tips, thin, glabrous, finely striate, flattened or slightly concave above, edges very delicately serrate at and near tips; sheathing bases twice as wide as basal part of blades, somewhat ciliate at edges, narrowed upwards or more or less auricled. Inflorescence a spike-like raceme terminating lateral branchlets, not peduncled, ± 1 in. long; flowers 10 or fewer, sessile, ± 5 mm. long; bracts several, ovate from broad base, shortly mucronate, strongly ciliate along edges; sepals one-third shorter than corolla, ovate-lanceolate, acute, ciliate at edges; corolla-tube rather narrow, lobes ovate subacute spreading or more or less reflexed; stamens as long as corolla-tube; mature capsules one-third shorter than sepals. Hab.—Roadside near mouth of Awatere River, East Cape district: James Adams and D. P. Edge of forest near Peria (Mongonui): H. Carse! Various stations in North Cape district: T. F. Cheeseman! The species is named in honour of James Adams, whose investigation of the flora of the Coromandel Peninsula is a fine piece of work, and who was my companion on a visit of some length to Mount Hikurangi, the East Cape district, and Tokomaru Bay. The leaves of this species are very characteristic, their blades having a very narrow triangular form, tapering uniformly from the base to the tips. D. strictum Hk. f. has leaves of a similar shape, but these are much broader and more coriaceous. Its alliance is probably with some of the congeries of forms united in Cheeseman's Manual (first edition) under the collective name D. Urvillei A. Rich. 5. Veronica Dartoni sp. nov. Frutex erectus, 21 dcm. altus v. ultra. Folia decussata, anguste lanceo-lata, 17–25 mm. longa, a medio 7–9 mm. lata, integra, glabra, ± complanata, leviter carinata, in basim sessilem sublatum attenuata et in apicem subacuminatum aequaliter producta, nervis duobus obscuris prope margines percursa. Racemi in foliorum superiorum axillis dispositi, ad 6 cm. longi, angusti, multiflori, pedunculati (pedunculis quam folia ter longioribus, puberulis); rhachide pedicellisque firme pubescentibus; bracteis pedicellos aequantibus, ovato-lanceolatis, acutis. Flores majusculi, roseo-caesii; calycis 4-partitus, lobis lanceolatis acutis ciliolatis; corollae tubo sublato, calycis lobos paullo excedente; limbo ± 9 mm. lato, lobis ovatis acutis multi-nerviis tubum longitudine vix excedentibus, capsula glabra, acuta, ± compressa, calyce subduplo longior. An erect branching shrub, 7 ft. high or more; branches slender, terete, glabrous, brown, closely ringed by scars of fallen leaves. Leaves decussate, overlapping, spreading, narrow lanceolate, contracted towards rather broad sessile base and produced into subacuminate tips, ¾–1 in. long, ¼–⅓ in. broad at middle, entire, glabrous, more or less flattened, rather thin, slightly keeled, midrib somewhat depressed above, traversed by two obscure sub-lateral veins, otherwise nerveless. Racemes in 2–3 opposite pairs in axils of uppermost leaves, up to 2¾ in. long including peduncles, rather narrow, closely many-flowered; peduncles about as long as leaves slender puberulous; rhachis and pedicels strongly pubescent; bracts equalling pedicels, about 2 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, acute. Flowers rather large, “rosy lilac” (Darton); calyx 4-partite, lobes lanceolate, acute, ciliolate, corolla-tube rather broad, slightly exceeding calyx, limb ± ⅓ in. across; lobes ovate, acute, many-nerved, scarcely longer than tube. Capsules glabrous, acute, somewhat compressed, barely twice as long as the calyx.

Hab.—Firewood Creek, near Cromwell, Vincent County: D. P. Rocky banks of Clutha River near Roxburgh bridge: Brian Jeffery! H. L. Darton! Queenstown Hill (Lake Wakatipu): J. W. McIntyre. This plant is named in honour of Mr. H. L. Darton, of the Lawrence High School, who, in conjunction with Mr. H. Hart, has done so much to create public interest in the varied forms of this genus. The Firewood Creek specimen was collected in 1911; the additional plants were discovered only two or three years ago. Mr. Darton mentions that it is a most beautiful object when in flower, and very floriferous. 6. Veronica trifida sp. nov. Species V. Birleyi (N. E. Brown) affinis; differt habitu prostrato v. decumbente late diffuso; ramis ramulisque elongatis (ad 90 cm. longis v. ultra); ramulis demum ab apicibus ± suberectis; foliis subalte 2–4 dentatis, politis, pro parte maxima glabris; racemorum pedunculis longioribus (9 mm. longis), pedicellis 1·5–3 mm. longis. A prostrate or decumbent slender twiggy plant, forming extensive sheets or patches on wet ground, mostly alongside melting snow-drifts; branches slender, more or less matted, laxly subdivided, tips ascending or suberect, rooting for much of their length, more or less clothed by remains of decayed leaves, up to 3 ft. in length. Leaves closely imbricating, appressed or somewhat spreading, sessile by a broad base, roughly obovate in general outline, 7–8 mm. long and about half as wide, obtuse, polished above and below, slightly incurved at edges, more or less concave above, coriaceous, not keeled, glabrous but for scattered hairs on edges and near base, usually shortly trifid near apex with broad terminal lobe and two prominent acute teeth a little below, but sometimes with two pairs of similar teeth above middle, in younger states frequently entire. Racemes 1–3 in axils of upper leaves, few-flowered, pedunculate, peduncles densely glandular - pubescent, ± 9 mm. long, pedicels 1·5–3 mm. long, clothed like the peduncles as are also bracts and calyx; bracts a single pair a little below flowers, lanceolate, thin, subacute; calyx 4-partite, lobes thin acute; “corolla pure white, ½–¾ in. across, segments rounded, tube long” (Darton); capsule almost equalling sepals, subcuneately obcordate, much compressed, 4–5 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, glabrous. Hab.—Titan Ridge, near the Blue Lake, Garvie Mountains, Southland, circa 4,500 ft. : J. Speden! H. L. Darton! The leaves of this plant show a wide range of variation. Its mode of growth may be gathered from the following extract from a letter to me from Mr. Speden: “It is a plant found or seen only below the edges of snow-drifts or where these have been. It has rather lax growth, the small stems being flattened down on the ground with the weight of the snow and the leaves rotting off. As the snow melts in the late spring or early summer it makes fresh erect growth rapidly up to 6 in. or 9 in., but generally 3 in. or 4 in. only. On one trip I noticed a band of white about 1 yard wide and 40 or more yards long below a snow-drift, and on examining it found below the white band taller plants past flower and in seed-pod for 3 or 4 yards lower down. Higher up it was just coming into flower, and in all intermediate stages to the edge of the snow.” As I have not seen the plant growing, I feel that the foregoing description must be in many respects inadequate.