248 MR. R. 8. ADAMSON ON THE COMPARATIVE ANATOMY 
Grove C. 
This group of species is characterized by small spoon-shaped leaves, which 
are sessile, somewhat thick, and xerophilous. Included here are V. linifolia, 
Hook. f., V. sp. (? Balfouriana), * V. Traversii, Hook. f., *V. vernicosa, 
Hook. £., V. anomala, Armst., V. pimeleoides, Hook. f. These are species of 
upland and subalpine regions, but are not truly alpine plants. 
Grove D. 
The species of this group are extremely like those of the previous group, 
but the leaves are much more leathery in texture and very often glaucous. 
V. Godefroyana, Carr., V. pinguifolia, Hook. f., *V. buxifolia, Benth., 
V. Menziesii, Benth., *V. Colensoi, Hook. f., * V. glaucophylla, Cock. 
*V. carnosula, Hook. f., V. amplexicaulis, Armst., *V. subalpina, Cock., 
V. monticola, Armst. These are all plants of alpine and subalpine regions, 
ascending to 4000—5000 feet and except in a few cases not oceurring below 
2000 feet. 
p 
С корр E. 
These species have very much reduced leaves, which are either small and 
spreading or appressed and imbricate :— V. loganioides, Armst., * V. epaeridea, 
Hook. f., V. lycopodioides, Hook. f., * V. tetrasticha, Hook. €, Г. Hectori, 
Hook. f., * V. Armstrongii, T. Kirk, V. propinqua, Cheesem., * V. cupressoides, 
Hook. f. With the exception of the last named these are all alpine species, 
growing on screes and rocky mountain-slopes. V. cupressoides occurs in 
alpine meadows. 
These groups A-E show a series of increasing xerophily. Groups А and В 
are very closely alike, as also are € and D. Each group shows a greater 
degree of xerophilous adaptation than the preceding one. 
Gnovr Е. 
The species in this group differ from all the others in having leaves with 
toothed margins and elongated petioles. This group can be separated into 
two divisions :—(1) upright shrubs : * V. f/ulkeana, Е. Muell., * V. Lavau- 
diana, Cheesem., V. Fairjieldi, T. Kirk ; (2) stem more or less prostrate with 
ascending annual shoots: Г. catarracti, Forst., *V. Lyallii, Hook. f., and 
V. Bidwillii, Hook. f. These species belong to the lowland region, though 
they ascend to a considerable height along rivers. V. Hulkeana and V. Lavau- 
diana are characteristic of rocky situations in low-lying districts. 
General Anatomical Characteristics. 
In recent years considerable attention has been paid to the anatomical 
study of flowering plants from a taxonomic point of view ; it has, for example, 
