L. Cockayne. — Notes on New Zealand Floristic Botany. 179 



entirely environmental. The most interesting point is the greatly reduced 

 leaves present with much larger ones on the Riwaka plant, and such suggest 

 that perhaps the Trelissick Basin plant is, after all, a reduced form. An 

 examination of flowers and fruit can alone settle this interesting point, but 

 I am still inclined to agree with my opinion as stated above -that the 

 Trelissick plant is one species, and that the Riwaka and other Nelson plants 

 should be united with the Wellington plant either as a polymorphic or an 

 epharmonic group. 



39. Leptospermum scoparium Forst. (forms with double flowers). 



(Plates IX and X.) 



In New Zealand Plants and their Story, p. 149 (1910), I have called 

 attention to a form of Leptospermum scoparium with double flowers which 

 was discovered by Mr. E. Phillips Turner, F.R.G.S., in the Volcanic Plateau 

 Botanical District. 



A second plant with double flowers was found some four years ago at 

 Torrent Bay, Nelson, by a lady residing at Motueka. This information I 

 received from Messrs. Nairn and Sons, nurserymen, of Christchurch. 



A third plant with double flowers must now be recorded. This was 

 found recently by Mr. Leonard H. Wilson on his property at Port Levy, 

 Banks Peninsula. I am indebted to Mr. J. Young, Curator of the Christ- 

 church Botanical Gardens, for calling my attention to this interesting 

 plant and for supplying the fine photograph (see Plate IX) of the wild plant 

 in its original habitat, the photograph being taken by his son,, Mr. James E. 

 Young. Cuttings from the Port Levy plant were struck by Mr. Young, 

 so that there is now a vigorous specimen in the collection of New Zealand 

 plants in the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. 



Since the doubling of flowers is essentially a teratological phenomenon, 

 one cannot look on such a race, capable only of being reproduced artificially 

 from cuttings or layers, as equivalent to a taxonomic variety. I would 

 propose for it the garden name of " Leonard Wilson," the plant to be 

 known therefore as Leptospermum scoparium Leonard Wilson. 



40. Myrtus Ralphii Hook. f. 



This species was founded by J. D. Hooker on specimens collected by 

 Dr. Ralph near the City of Wellington in the very early days of the province, 

 and on the east coast of the North Island by Colenso, and it was first pub- 

 lished in the Flora N ovae-Zelandiae in 1853. Later, in the Handbook of the 

 New Zealand Flora, Hooker suggested that it might be a variety of Myrtus 

 bullata Sol. The species was accepted by T. Kirk (*%McZe«<s' Flora, p. 165) 

 and by Cheeseman {Manual, p. 169), both authors agreeing that it is closely 

 allied to M . bullata. 



During the last few years I have had ample opportunity for examining 

 the "' species " in the field, and in consequence have come to the conclusion 

 that it is a polymorphic hybrid between M. bullata Sol. and M. obcordata 

 (Raoul) Hook. f. 



My reasons for the above conclusion are (1) that the " species " is never 

 to be found unless both Myrtus bullata and M. obcordata are present, and 

 (2) that the individuals are strongly polymorphic even when growing in 

 close proximity, some closely approaching M . bullata and others M . obcordata, 

 while leaves of the obcordata and bullata types occur frequently on the same 

 individual. 



I do not think a much better example can be found of the often -men- 

 tioned " series of intermediate forms " connecting two species than is to 



