Kirk. — On Neio Zealand Fuchsias. 267 



its extinction is hastened by the progress of settlement. I 

 have been informed that it has already become extinct in 

 Tryphena Bay. 



It is remarkable that the differential characters of 

 F. colensoi and F. procumbens have not been more fnlly 

 defined : the original drawing of the long-styled form of 

 F. procumbens was published in 1842, and the short-styled 

 form (F. kirkii) in 1871. In the original " Flora Novae- 

 Zelandiae," volume i., page 57, F. colensoi is evidently in- 

 cluded under F. procumbens, although the flowers are said to 

 be apetalous ; and in the " Handbook of the New Zealand 

 Flora," page 76, the flowers of F. 'procumbens are said to be 

 " as in F. excorticata, but smaller." At page 728 F. colensoi 

 is for the first time described as a distinct species, but very 

 briefly. The Otago botanists have usually mistaken forms of 

 F. colensoi for F. procumbens, although the erect flowers of 

 the latter are alone sufficient to distinguish it from any other 

 species. I venture, therefore, to give the following amended 

 descriptions of the New Zealand species from the MSS. of 

 the " Students' Flora of New Zealand," now in course of 

 preparation : — 



Fuchsia excorticata, Linne, Supp. 217. 



A shrub or small tree 10ft. -45ft. high; trunk 6in.-3ft. in 

 diameter, clothed with brown papery bark. Leaves alternate, 

 liin.-4in. long, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or acu- 

 minate, entire or obscurely toothed, membranous, silvery 

 beneath ; petioles short. Flowers axillary, solitary, fin.-lin. 

 long, trimorphic, on filiform drooping peduncles ; calyx 

 globose at the base, then suddenly constricted and expanded 

 into a funnel-shaped tube, with longitudinal ridges, segments 

 4, acuminate, spreading ; petals very small ; stamens ex- 

 serted and, like the style, varying in length. Fruit a pendu- 

 lous purple or black berry. Link et Otto, Abb., t. 46 ; Lindl. 

 in Bot. Beg., t. 857 ; D. C, Prodr., hi., 39 ; A. Cunn., Precurs., 

 n. 533; Baoul, Enum. PL Nov. Zel., 49; Hook, f., Fl. N.Z., 

 i., 56; Handbk. N.Z. FL, 75; T. Kirk, Forest Fl. N.Z., 

 t. 36 and 36a. Skinnera excorticata, B. and G. Forster, Char. 

 Gen., t. 29 ; A. Bich., Fl. Nov. Zel., 331. Agapanthus calyci- 

 florus, Banks and Sol., MSS. Kotukutuku, konini (the fruit 

 only). 



Hab. On the margins of woods, &c, from the North 

 Cape to Stewart Island. Ascends to 3,000ft. Flowers August 

 to December. 



In exposed or elevated situations this species is reduced 

 to a dwarf bush. The branchlets are rather stout and 

 very brittle. The petioles and peduncles vary greatly in 

 length. 



