Cheeseman. — Description of a New Celmisia. 21 



Art. IV. — Description of a New Celmisia. 



By T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., F.Z.S., Curator of the Auckland Museum. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 3rd December, 1913.] 



Early in January, 1912, I received a packet of plants collected by Mr. P. G. 

 Morgan, the Director of the Geological Survey, in the Westport district, 

 and among the specimens I at once noticed a curious Celmisia that ap- 

 peared to possess indubitable claims to be considered a distinct species. 

 Unfortunately, Mr. Morgan has not been able to recall the exact locality in 

 which he gathered the plant, but as it must be somewhere in the narrow 

 district between Westport and the Ngakawau Eiver the want of more 

 precise knowledge is not of very great importance. Mr. Morgan has done 

 excellent service in collecting the plants of north-west Nelson, and I have 

 pleasure in dedicating the species to him. 



Celmisia Morgani Cheesem. n. sp. 



C. longifolia Cass. var. graminifolia T. Kirk affinis, sed differt foliis 

 flaccidis, multo majoribus et latioribus. 



Folia numerosa, 15-50 cm. longa, 1-2-4 cm. lata, lineari-lanceolata, 

 acuminata, membranacea, flaccida, supra glabrata, subtus sericeo-tomentosa 

 et nervo medio prominente. Petioli graciles, basi latissime scarioso-niem- 

 branacei et vaginantes. Scapi 2-k, graciles. Capitula majuscula, 2-3-5 cm. 

 diam. Achaenia glabrata. 



Hob. — South Island : Between Westport and the Ngakawau River, 

 P. G. Morgan! near the mouth of the Ngakawau River, D. Petrief (much 

 more coriaceous and tomentose). 



Leaves numerous, tufted, 6-20 in. long including the petiole, \-l\ in. 

 wide ; blade narrow linear-lanceolate, narrowed very gradually towards 

 the base into an exceedingly slender petiole, above the middle tapering into 

 an acuminate point, membranous, often almost flaccid, rarely subcoriaceous ; 

 upper surface glabrous or nearly so, usually smooth but sometimes fur- 

 rowed when dry ; under-surface clothed with thin white and silvery 

 tomentum through which the veins are frequently visible ; midrib evident 

 beneath, often glabrous ; petiole long and slender, greenish or greenish- 

 purple, gradually expanded below into a thin and membranous cottony 

 sheath sometimes |in. wide or even more. Scapes several, equalling or 

 exceeding the leaves, very slender, usually more or less white and cottony 

 but sometimes almost glabrous ; bracts numerous, narrow-linear, the 

 lowest sometimes 1 in. long, the upper gradually becoming smaller, the 

 uppermost under \ in. Heads f-l| in. in diameter ; involucral bracts 

 linear-subulate, glabrous or cottony, green or purplish-green. Rays nume- 

 rous, rather long and narrow. Achene linear, glabrous. 



This clearly belongs to the same group of species as C. longifolia, and 

 is not very far removed from Kirk's variety graminifolia, a plant which I 

 suspect will some day have to be restored to specific rank. But it has 

 much larger broader and thinner leaves, with remarkably slender petioles, 

 and is quite as distinct from C. longifolia as C. Adamsii and C. linearis. 

 The whole of the forms at present included in C. longifolia require study in 

 the field ; and their identification as a species with the original C. longi- 

 folia of Australia should be re-examined. 



