184 Transactions. 



From the above it seems clear that the taxonomic position of the West 

 Wanganui Inlet plant is quite uncertain ; it may indeed be, as Mr. Aston 

 suggests, an undescribed species. It is certainly not typical Senecio 

 rotundifolius, the northern limit of which appears to be Jackson's Bay, 

 as stated in the Manual. Neither is it typical S. elaeagnifolius. At present 

 it seems best to look upon it as belonging to a group confined to the 

 North-western Botanical District which may be either a distinct species 

 or a variety of either S. elaeagnifolius or S. rotundifolius. 



42. Sophora prostrata Buch. 



Buchanan described Sophora prostrata as a " rigid prostrate rambling 

 shrub 12-18 in. high " {Trans. N.Z. Inst,, vol. 16, p. 395, 1884). Kirk 

 and Cheeseman both describe it as prostrate. That it frequently is quite 

 prostrate and but a few centimetres high is true enough, but this extreme 

 degree of depression appears to be due entirely to its environment. The 

 really important characters which distinguish the species from any of the 

 other species of Sophora are its divaricating growth-form, the smaller flowers 

 solitary or in pairs, the standard almost equalling the wings, and the small 

 pod with few seeds. Specimens more than 1-8 m. high, and probably much 

 higher, are common enough, but they never grow out of the divaricating 

 growth-form stage of development. The species reproduces itself true from 

 seed. 



The actual southern limit of Sophora prostrata has not been ascer- 

 tained, but it does not seem to extend into the North Otago Botanical 

 District, although the conditions there are ideal for its requirements. 

 Personally, I have not seen it on the Canterbury Plain south of the 

 Rakaia River, nor in the mountainous area to the south of the Waimakariri 

 River basin. According to Cheeseman (Manual p. 123), S. prostrata is 

 found in the mountains. But it also occurs in the lowland belt, nor do I 

 think it ascends much above 900 m. 



43. Veronica salicifolia Forst. f. var. angustissima Cockayne var. nov. 



Foliis lineari-lanceolatis, racemis longis gracilibus laxifloris, calycis lobis 

 anguste lanceolatis acutis. 



North Island : Ruahine-Cook Botanical District — Otaki Gorge, base of 

 Tararua Mountains, on more or less stony ground. L. C. 



This variety is distinguished at once from any other described variety 

 of Veronica salicifolia by the following combination of characters : Linear- 

 lanceolate thin leaves + 10 cm. long by + 10 mm. broad, slender racemes 

 + 17 cm. long with the flowers rather distant, the rhachis and pedicels 

 most minutely pubescent, the deeply-cut calyx almost as long as the 

 corolla-tube with long narrow lanceolate acute segments, the white corolla, 

 and the far-exserted purple anthers. 



When not in bloom the plant might be easily confused with broad- 

 leaved forms of Veronica angustifolia A. Rich., but from that species it is 

 at once separated by the much longer racemes, the larger calyx, and the 

 narrow acute not obtuse calyx-segments. 



III. Phytogeographic. 



Although the localities given below have for the most part not been 

 recorded hitherto, in this series of papers the station of a species, though 

 .already published, if it is not generally known, will in certain cases be 



