392 Transactions. — Bota?iy. 



peduncles pubescent ; hairs numerous, short, close, sub- 

 strigosely appressed. Leaves few, glabrous, distant, lower 

 4-5 pairs opposite, connate, lin. apart ; broadly elliptic, -|-in. 

 long, tip rounded, 5-nerved, veinlets largely anastomosing, 

 margins slightly crenate-toothed, petiolate, petioles short 

 sub 1 line long ; upper leaves alternate oblong, tips rounded, 

 decreasing gradually in size to apex of stem. Flowers 12-30, 

 axillary, one in each axil of upper leaves ; peduncle erect, 



2 lines long. Calyx-lobes cut nearly to base, elliptic, 3-nerved, 

 erect, a little longer than capsule, glabrous (but when young 

 sparsely and finely ciliolate), subrugulose. Corolla pale, 

 small, 2-J- lines wide, lobes rounded, the uppermost 7-nerved 

 nerves forked at top ; lateral lobes 5-nerved, nerves simple. 

 Stamens linear-lanceolate, widest near top, slightly exserted ; 

 anthers orbicular-cordate. Style length of capsule, erect ; 

 stigma capitate, penicillate. Capsule reniform, 2 lines broad, 

 glabrous, shining, pale-brown, rather deeply notched, a few 

 short erect glandular hairs ciliolate at margin ; each cell 

 subinflated. Seeds numerous, very minute, 38 in one cell, 

 broadly-oblong, shortly stipitate, white. 



Hab. Among grasses and other low herbage, open lands 

 south of Dannevirke, County of Waipawa ; 1889 : W. C. 



8. V. areolata, sp. nov. 



Plant herbaceous, prostrate, weak, annual (?), simple, slen- 

 der, 12in.-15in. long, sometimes branched from base. Leaves 

 few, thin, hairy, hairs rather long and weak, shrivelled, white 

 and jointed, petiolate, patent, distant, the lower ones 2in. 

 the upper lin. apart, alternate (the lowest pair opposite), sub- 

 orbicular and broadly oblong, 5-7 lines long, tip obtuse, base 

 truncate, 5-nerved (the upper ones only 3-nerved), much 

 veined ; veinlets anastomosing ; margins cut crenate-serrate, 

 largely ciliate, ciliaa stout, acute. Flowers axillary through- 

 out from near base, single, peduncles erect, spreading, filiform, 

 lin.-l^in. long. Calyx large, spreading, ^in. diameter, lobes 8 

 lines long, ovate-acuminate, 3-nerved, ciliate, cleft to base ; 

 veinlets anastomosing. Corolla membranous, 2 lines diameter, 

 pale-bluish, lobes broadly rounded, much veined, margins 

 entire. Anthers included, lai'ge suborbicular, peltate, blue, 

 margined ; stamens stout, broadly lanceolate ; style rather 

 long; stigma capitate, penicillate. Capsule large, reniform, 



3 lines broad with a deep notch, hairy, margins ciliate, much 

 veined ; veins prominent, anastomosing. Seeds obovate, sub- 

 cup-shaped, stipitate, regularly laterally ribbed on one side ; 

 pale, 6-8 in a cell. 



Hab. Open land, edges of forest, south of Dannevirke, 

 County of Waipawa ; 1890 : W. C. Only a few plants 

 noticed. 



