Colexso. — On Phsenoganis. 333 



a 1 



Hah. On hills in the interior, Hawke's Bay; 1890-92: 



W. C. 



Obs. I. A species prima facie near to V. colensoi, Hook., 

 hut differing in several particulars — as, leaves smaller, sub- 

 concave and of another form ; flowers pedicelled, bracts thin 

 and longer than pedicels ; lobes of calyx thin and ciliolate ; 

 corolla lobes very different, with puberulous throat ; capsule 

 larger, &c. 



II. Named in honour of the illustrious Darwin, who visited 

 New Zealand, with Captain Fitzroy, in H.M.S. "Beagle," in 

 1835, and with whom I had the honour and pleasure of spend- 

 ing Christmas Day in that year. 



2. V. oligantka, sp. nov. 



Plant small herbaceous slender simple glabrous, suberect 

 and decumbent, 3in.-6in. high, sometimes with a very few 

 small branches, main stems and pedicels closely and finely 

 puberulent. Leaves few rather distant, pale-green, broadly- 

 ovate and broadly-elliptic almost suborbicular, 2^-3^ lines 

 long, 2-2|- lines broad, margins cut-crenate, and those of the 

 upper and calycine leaves finely ciliolate, tips obtuse rounded ; 

 midrib below keeled prominent ; 3-nerved, largely veined, 

 veins compoundly-anastomosing; petiolate, petioles sub 1 line 

 long. Flowers very few, distant, small, single, axillary in 

 cauline leaves in the upper part of the stem and terminal, 

 usually 3-4 pairs, the lowest pair opposite, the upper ones 

 alternate, pedicelled, pedicels erect stout nearly 2 lines long. 

 Calyx 4-cleft to base, segments oblong, obtuse, 1-nerved, 

 shorter than corolla. Corolla pale, small, 1-t lines long, tube 

 very short scarcely any, segments all rounded the upper one 

 the largest ; much veined, veins forked. Stamens long curved ; 

 anthers large exserted, orbicular, claret-coloured ; style very 

 long, longer than capsule, filiform, persistent ; stigma large 

 capitate. Capsule fawn-coloured, sub-reniform-orbicular ^in. 

 broad, compressed, notch shallow with a few erect glandular 

 hairs on upper margin. Seeds very minute, 50 and upwards 

 in each capsule, oblong, thickish, centrally attached, pale- 

 fawn colour. 



Hab, Among grasses and other low herbage, banks of 

 streams, edges of woods, south of Dannevirke, County of Wai- 

 pawa ; 1892 : W. C. 



Obs. Another small herbaceous species of this genus to be 

 added to those already lately described by me (Trans. N .Z. Inst., 

 vol. xxiv., pp. 391-393), and, though pretty closely related to 

 them, distinct from all ; perhaps V. macrocalyx is its nearest 

 ally. This little plant is somewhat striking at first sight from 

 its very pale-green leaves, and also, on examination, from the 

 great regularity of its few flowers 3-4 pairs, of which, how- 



