reported that the late Mr. T. Kirk, in his “ Student’s Flora 
of New Zealand,” has treated the subject of our plate as a 
variety of P. tenuifolium. Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, however, 
in his ‘‘ Manual” has recently vindicated the right of 
P. Colensoi to the specific status accorded to it by Sir J. D. 
Hooker. The chief distinguishing features of our plant, as 
compared with P. tenwifolium, are the larger, more coriaceous 
and flat leaves, and the more persistent bracts. Some of the 
intermediate forms which lend weight to Kirk’s view are in 
cultivation in this country, and specimens of such have been 
communicated to the Kew herbarium from the Royal 
Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, and from the gardens of 
Trinity College, Dublin, and of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. The flowers of these intermediate forms are, 
however, mostly like those of P. tenuifolium, while the 
leaves, though approaching in texture those of P. Colensoi, 
have undulate margins. For its cultivation a sandy soil 
with an admixture of peat is most suitable, and the most 
satisfactory mode of propagation is by cuttings in heat. 
Description.—Shrub; bark blackish; twi os stout, tawny, 
puberulous with long soft hairs. Leaves spreading, their 
ups recurved, elliptic-oblong, oblong-lanceolate or obovate- 
oblong, acute, the base usually obtuse or rounded, 14-3 in. 
long, ¢-14 in. wide, coriaceous, dark green with a paler 
midrib and somewhat glossy above, pale green and closely 
reticulated beneath; petiole 4-5 lin. long. Inflorescences 
terminal and axillary ; flowers solitary or in threes; bracts 
more or less persistent, closely covering the pedicels, oblong, 
acute or apiculate, 2-3 lin. long, 14-2 lin. wide, purple, 
sparing. y brown hairy outside especially towards the edges ; 
rest -5 lin. long. Sepals very wide ovate, apiculate, 
= lin. long, 14-2 lin. wide, sparingly villous outside. 
‘tals oblanceolate, obtuse or rounded, dark red, 8 lin. long, 
24 lin. wide, markedly reflexed, the margins also slightly 
reflexed. Filaments 33 lin. long, glabrous; anthers 13 lin. 
long. Ovary ovoid-oblong, 2 lin. long, sparingly hairy, 
2-8-celled « } y hai 
ate ed; style 1 lin. long; stigma capitate, yellowish 
Fig. 1, unopened flow 
3 and 4, anthers; 5, pistil Tne sce! and bracts; 2, stamens and eter 
1:—all enlarged, 
