Tas. 6139. 
FUCHSIA PROCUMBENS. 
Native of New Zealand. 
Nat. Ord. ONAGRARIEZ. 
Genus Fucnsta, Linn. ; (Benth. 5° Hook. f. Gen. Plant., vol. 1, p. 790). 
Fucnsia procumbens ; elaberrima, prostata, caulibus filiformibus elongatis, 
foliis longe graciliter petiolatis ovatis v. orbiculato v. cordato-ovatis 
obtusis obscure sinuato-dentatis inter nervos non reticulatis, floribus 
solitariis axillaribus erectis, calycis tubo cylindraceo-campanulato basi 
rotundato non inflato, lobis oblongis obtusis, petalis 0. 
Fucnsta procumbens, 2. Cunn. in A. Cunn, Bot. Fl. Nov. Zel. in Ann. Nat. 
Hist., vol. iii. p. 315 Hook. Ic. Pl. t. 421; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zeld., 
vol. i. p. 573 Handb. New Zeald. Flor., p. 76 and 728 ; Masters in 
Gard. Chron., Sept. 1874. (Planta 9). 
F. Kirkii, Hook. f. in Ic. Plant., t. 1083 (Planta ¢ ). 
This curious little plant, so unlike a Fuehsia in habit and 
colour of the flower, was discovered in 1834 by Richard 
Cunningham in the northern Island of New Zealand, on the 
shores of the east coast, opposite the Cavalhos Islands, grow- 
ing on the sandy beach, where it has since been gathered by 
Colenso. It has also been found on the Great Barrier 
Islands by Mr. Kirk in two localities, both near the sea. 
This latter I distinguished as F. Kirkii, relymg on the 
length of the style and large capitate stigma, which I now 
find evidently a sexual character. I also attributed to the 
true F. procumbens lanceolate sepals ; in this latter character 
I now find I was deceived by the Herbarium containing a 
mixture of specimens of what I take to be a slender variety 
of F. Colensoi (Handbook of New Zealand Flora, p. 728) with 
those of F. procumbens. Like all New Zealand plants, the 
Fuchsias are extraordinarily variable, and the two small — 
species ( procumbens and Colensoi) are certainly bisexual. Of — 
the three New Zealand species, J". excorticata and Colensoi have 
the leaves reticulated between the nerves; the corolla-tube, © 
inflated at the base, then suddenly contracted and dilated 
DECEMBER Ist, 1874. 
