328 Transactions. — Botany. 



3in.-4Jin. long, lfin.-2^in. wide, tip obtuse, base rounded ; 

 also, often irregular in size and shape, some being much 

 smaller, lin.-1-S-in. long, elliptic, tip much rounded, on same 

 branchlet with the large ones and generally below them ; 

 margins denticulate sub-crenate-serrate, dark-green, deeply 

 rugulose, glabrous and shining above with sunken nerves, 

 pale dull-green and stellate-hairy below, the hairs white and 

 regularly scattered (not crowded) on lamina, but reddish and 

 densely close on midrib and veins ; veins few, regular, much 

 produced, diagonal, parallel 4 lines apart, their tips 

 branched on the posterior side ; petioles stout, soft, fin. long, 

 terete, slightly sulcate on the upper surface, closely hairy. 

 Flowers in large loose compound terminal (and subterminal) 

 panicles, 5in.-6in. long, 7in.-8in. broad at base, subpanicles 

 4in.-oin. long, with a small leaf at base, their branches loose 

 distant slender spreading. Flowers close, soft, subfascicled 

 3-6 together ; pedicels about 1 line long ; calyx pale-green, 

 1^ lines diameter, 5-parted, sepals ovate recurved, keeled 

 above, densely stellate -hairy on outside, tube very short; 

 petals ; anthers subobovoid, obtuse, orange-coloured, fila- 

 ments flattish erect a little longer than style ; style stout fur- 

 rowed, top 3-cleft one-third of its length ; stigmas large, capi- 

 tate, rough. Ovary hairy, with scattered adpressed stellate 

 hairs and also other hairs simple erect acute as long as style. 

 Capsule rounded, the exserted part as long as the adnate 

 tube, dark-brown. Cocci whitish-brown, elliptic subapiculate, 

 submembranous, convex keeled on inner face and opening by 

 a basal slit extending half-way up, minutely puberulous. 



Hub. Dry hills near Puketapu, west of Napier, Hawke's 

 Bay ; rare ; 1890-92 ; flowering 10th November : W. G. 



Obs. This shrub is certainly very near to P. tainui, Hector," 

 differing, however, in size of plant, form, &c, of leaf, and 

 wanting its gland to anthers, &c. ; and as I have already 

 noticed and described t how closely two (at least) of our 

 northern species of this genus approach each other until they 

 are fully examined, just so it may be with these two plants. 

 At all events, if this plant should prove to be identical with 

 that species, then another legendary Maori support and 

 witness (!) of their wild, mythical canoe-arrival on these 

 shores will again have to be abandoned — with regret, not 

 only by themselves, but also by their European supporters. 



* See Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xi., p. 428. Sir James Hector says, 

 "flowering 5th December," "capsule not seen." His specific descrip- 

 tion of the plant is consequently imperfect, but his account of- its dis- 

 covery, &c, is interesting and worthy of perusal. 



t See Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xviii., p. 25S : P. amcena, Col., and 

 P. pliylicifolia, Lodd. 



