L. Cockayne. — Notes on New Zealand Floristic Botany, 183 



(7.) Most of the leaves large, deeply coloured with purplish-brown, 

 somewhat bullate, and suddenly narrowed into an acute apex, 

 but some of- the smaller leaves have a rounded apex. 



(8.) Leaves strongly bullate, apex rounded but occasionally emarginate 

 in the smaller leaves, average lamina about 1-7 cm. by 1-5 cm. 



(9.) Average lamina only 8 mm. by 6 mm., surface flat, hardly a trace 

 of emarginate apex. 

 (10.) Leaves tapering both at apex and base, most rather large, flat, 

 one or two rather large obcordate leaves present. 



Comparing the series of specimens just dealt with, on the whole each 

 specimen shows more uniformity than in the Kaukau-Crowsnest series, 

 but this may be due, in part, to the specimens being smaller. There does 

 not seem to be any evidence of a fixed race being present. 



41. Senecio (the coastal species of West Wanganui Inlet, hitherto referred 

 to *S'. rotundifolius (Forst. f.) Hook. f. 



In Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 39, p. 446, 1907, Cheeseman records, without 

 special comment, Senecio rotundifolius as growing at West Wanganui Inlet. 

 Earlier (Manual, p. 383, 1906) the same botanist had referred the shrub 

 common near Cape Foulwind to the same species. More recently Petrie 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 46, p. 30, 1914) has referred, " without hesitation," 

 the Cape Foulwind plant to Senecio elaeagnifolius Hook, f., stating, " I 

 examined a great many specimens of this shrub [the Cape Foulwind 

 plant], and found that the leaves, though more coriaceous than usual, are 

 nearly always longer than broad, in outline more or less ovate or ovate- 

 oblong, and not rarely waved or repandly toothed at the margin. At an 

 elevation of 2,300 ft. or so on the Longwood Range, Southland, specimens 

 of S. elaeagnifolius may be seen in the forest with leaves approaching 

 those of S. rotundifolius much more closely than do any to be found near 

 Cape Foulwind." 



Recently I have received from Mr. B. C. Aston a living specimen, but 

 not in flower, of the West Wanganui Senecio. This specimen I should 

 certainly hesitate to refer either to S. rotundifolius or to S. elaeagnifolius. 

 For instance, it differs at once from both species in that the branchlets, 

 the very youngest excepted, are covered with a smooth, not grooved, 

 purple bark altogether lacking tomentum but, in part, most minutely 

 pubescent, whereas similar, or indeed older, branchlets of the other two 

 species are densely covered with pale-buff tomentum. Also, the tomentum, 

 of the under-surface of the leaves is rather thin, white and not buff as in 

 S. rotundifolius and S. elaeagnifolius, and puts one in mind of that of 

 Olearia arborescens (Forst. f.) Cockayne and Laing. The youngest branch- 

 lets are covered more or less with a white pellicle of hairs, through which 

 the purple bark soon becomes visible. In addition, the shrub, according 

 to Mr. Aston's notes, is only a few feet high, and not almost a tree as is 

 Senecio rotundifolius. But this low stature may be caused by the plant 

 growing on cliffs, the only habitat where it was noted. 



As for shape, none of the leaves are rotund, but obovate and oblong 

 are the commonest forms. The leaf-base is slightly unequal and cuneate, 

 but such a base is shown in specimens of Senecio rotundifolius which I 

 collected at Anita Bay (Fiord Botanical District). The midrib is much 

 keeled, sometimes glabrous or almost so for its entire length, or it may 

 be covered by a thin pellicle of white hairs. 



