94 Transactions. — Botany. 



much longer petioles than the juvenile ; otherwise they are of 

 the same type. 



This behaviour of Discaria, to be in the early juvenile 

 stage a leafy thornless plant, while the adult is leafless with 

 assimilating spiny branches, reverting in spring to the leafy 

 form, is almost identical with that of Golletia cruciata, another 

 of the Bhamnacece, whose reversion shoots have been described 

 and figured by Goebel.* 



This or a closely allied plant, received under the name of 

 C. horrida, I have raised from seed. Its early form is quite 

 spineless, with lanceolate leaves 7 mm. long x 3 mm. broad, 

 acute, and with three prominent teeth on each margin. As 

 the plant grew these leaves w^ere succeeded by sharp, spiny 

 shoots, terete, and 9 mm. in length. 



The quick development of the root of Discaria before its 

 cotyledons issue into the air must be of great advantage to 

 fix the plant firmly in an unstable medium such as sand, 

 exposed as it is to constant winds. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES VIII., IX. 

 Plate VIII. 



Fig. 1. Young growth from base of seedling plant, one year old, of Car- 



michaelia angtistata. 

 Fig. 2. Lateral branch from same plant as in fig. 1. 

 Pig. 3. Seedling plant of Notosjxirtium torulosu^n, Mount Peel variety. 

 Fig. 31. Reversion shoot of Notospartiuni torulcsum, Waikare variety. 

 Fig. 4. Seedling plant of Convohmhis erubescens. 

 Fig. 5. Early development of seedling of C. erubescens — (a) hypocotyl, 



(fe) radicle. 

 Fig. 6. Early development of Carmichaelia, sp., from Waiau Gorge. 

 Fig. 7. Later sta.ge in the development of the plant shown in fig. 6. 

 Fig. 8. Still later stage of development of plant shown in figs. 6 and 7. 

 Fig. 9. Usual form of early leaf of Carmichaelia, sp., Waiau Gorge. 

 Fig. 10. Occasional leaf-form of seedling of Carmichaelia, sp., Waiau 



Gorge. 



Plate IX. 



Fig. 11. 2nd or 3rd seedling leaf of Pseudopanax chathamica. 



Fig. 12. Seedling plant of P. chathamica, showing cotyledons and 1st 



leaf. 

 Fig. 13. Early stage in development of 3rd leaf of P. chathamica. 

 Fig. 14. Apical extremity of leaf shown in fig. 13. 

 Fig. 15. Leaf from older seedling of P. chathamica. 

 Fig. 16. Early stage in development of seedling of Carmicliaelia enysii. 

 Fig. 17. Later stage of development of C. enysii than shown in fig. 16. 

 Fig. 18. Branch of Carmichaelia- uniflora. 



Fig. 19. Early developmont of seedling form of Discaria toumatou. 

 Fig. 20. Later stage in development of D. toumatou than shown in fig. 19. 

 Fig. 21. Adult leaf of D. toumatou. 

 Fig. 22. Early seedling leaf of D. toumatou. 

 Figs. 23, 24. Truncate seedling leaves of Pseudopanax chatliamica. 



• " Pflanzenbiologische Schilderungen," teil i., Marburg, 1889, 

 pp. 17 and 18. 



