410 Transactions. — Botany. 



It is with considerable hesitation that I describe this as 

 new, for in many of its characters it agrees closely with a 

 species published by Mr. Buchanan under the name of 

 O. excorticata (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. vi., 241), but of which I 

 have unfortunately been unable to procure authentic speci- 

 mens. Judging from the description, however, Mr. Buchanan's 

 plant has much larger leaves, said to be acuminate at both 

 ends, and the tomentum appears to be different. 



Olcaria suavis is allied in some respects to 0. lacunosa, 

 which is a common plant on the Mount Arthur plateau, but 

 which has much longer and narrower leaves. The tomentum 

 of the two plants is very similar indeed. 



Myrsine kermadecensis, n. sp. 



A small glabrous tree, with much of the habit and appear- 

 ance of Drimys axillaris. Bark rough, blackish - brown. 

 Leaves 2in.-2^iu. long, obovate-oblong, acute or obtuse, entire, 

 coriaceous, gradually narrowed into short petioles -lin.-iin. 

 long ; margins slightly recurved. Flowers small, dioecious (or 

 polygamous ?) in many-flowered clusters on the old wood below 

 the leaves. Pedicels short, rarely over lin. Calyx minute, 

 lobes short, broad. Corolla about lin. long, divided nearly to 

 the base into 5 acute lobes, which are fringed at the sides. 

 Anthers nearly as large as the lobes. Drupe globose, lin.- 

 Jin. diameter, black when fully ripe. 



Hah. Sunday Island, Kermadec Group : abundant over the 

 greater part of the island. 



This differs from the Norfolk Island variety of M. crassifolia 

 in the smaller leaves, which are much broader in proportion, 

 have longer petioles, and are usually more acute than in 

 M. crassifolia. Mr. W. B. Hemsley, of Kew, informs me that 

 the Australian ill. variabilis is a close ally ; but I have had no 

 opportunity of comparing the two plants. 



Bcehmeria dealbata, n. sp. 



_ A small tree, 8ft.-25ft. high. Branches terete, hoary with 

 minute hairs. Leaves alternate, ovate, oblong-ovate, or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, obtusely serrate, rounded at the base, 

 3in.-6in. long, very prominently 3 -nerved, and with the 

 secondary veins also strongly marked, green and glabrous and 

 somewhat rugulose above, below white and hoary with minute 

 hairs. Petioles short, stout, grooved on the upper surface. 

 Stipules small, ovate-lanceolate, deciduous. Flowers minute, 

 in small axillary sessile glomerules, monoecious ; the female 

 flowers in the glomerules usually expanding before the males. 

 Male flowers : Perianth deeply 4-partite, segments oblong- 

 ovate, acuminate, covered with erect hairs ; stamens 4, al- 

 ternating with the perianth segments, exserted ; a minute 



