Colenso. — On Phgenogams. 327 



o l 



Hooker there to observe, "A very remarkable plant . . . 

 from the smallness of its petals as compared with the sepals." 

 Besides this there are several other differential characters in 

 its leaves, flowers, and fruit. 



Order VI. Caryophylle.e. 

 Genus Cerastium,* Linn. 



1. C. truncatulum, sp. nov. 



Plant annual, small, erect, lin.-2in. high, simple, some- 

 times slightly branched, very hairy ; hairs patent not viscid, 

 leaves, radical subrosulate linear-spathulate, smaller than 

 those on stem ; stem-leaves linear-oblong obtuse, 3-5 lines 

 long, sessile, dark-green, margins purple, ciliate ; hairs jointed, 

 white. Flowers 2-4, axillary near top, and 1 terminal, 

 rather large for plant, open, 2 springing on long pedicels from 

 one of pair of opposite leaves, pedicel Un. long, slender, 

 bibracteate at middle. Calyx shorter than petals, 2% lines 

 long, lobes subacute, green, purple-tipped, with large white 

 membranous margins. Petals longer than calyx, bifid 

 half-way down, lobes acute; styles 5, long, hairy; capsule 

 twice as long as calyx, stout, slightly curved, shining with 10 

 teeth ; teeth short, very broad, tips truncate and notched. 

 Seeds numerous, orbicular, muricated, ochraceous. 



Hab. Open grassy plains south of Dannevirke, County of 

 Waipawa ; 1887-91 : W. C. 



Obs. I have long known this little plant, and have often 

 slightly noticed it, supposing it to be an introduced British 

 species (two or three of them being now common here, im- 

 ported among grass- and clover-seeds), but during this spring 

 (1891) I was led from its humble beauty to gather and closely 

 examine it, and believe it to be a new and undescribed species, 

 the teeth of its capsule being so very different from those of 

 all other species known to me, and so affording a good differ- 

 ential character. The plant has some general resemblance to 

 C. scmidecaiidrum ; it is an early spring flower. 



Order XVIII. Khamneje. 



Genus 1. Pomaderris, Labill. 



1. P. mollis, sp. nov. 



Shrub 9ft. high, upright handsome growth, branched from 

 base ; branchlets densely stellate pubescent, also petioles 

 under-surface of leaves flowering-stems and calyx on outside. 

 Leaves alternate distant softish, usually lin.-2in. apart, ovate, 



* This germs is not inserted in the " Handbook of the New Zealand 

 Flora," although those others very near it are — Stellaria, Spergularia, &c. 



