262 Transactions. — Botany. 



mentioned air-spaces are formed. The lower epidermis 

 contains large numbers of stomata. Tlie upper epidermis 

 consists of a single row of large rectangular cells which 

 are slightly cuticularised. The assimilating portion of the 

 leaf consists of about six rows of palisade parenchyma, 

 each C3ll about twice as long as broad, succeeded by the 

 smaller and rounder cells of the spongy parenchyma, the 

 lowermost of which project into the above-mentioned air- 

 spaces somewhat after the manner of the assimilating tissue 

 in the air-cavities of Marchantia. 



Ligusticum lalifolium has leaves + 60 cm. in length, with 

 a very thick stalk + 2-5 cm. in diameter. The blade is dark- 

 green m colour, very coriaceous, ovate in outline, and bi- 

 pinnately divided into rather broad segments, which are 

 3- to 5-lobed, each lobe terminating in a needle-like sharp 

 point. These lateral segments are not flat, but bent inwards, 

 thus bringing the tw^o surfaces into proximity, and the upper 

 half into a vertical position with regard to the light. There 

 are fine Ligusticums in both the subalpine region of New 

 Zealand and the moist coastal regions of the South Island, 

 but, as is the case with these Southern Island plants, they 

 nearly always exceed their largest New Zealand representa- 

 tives in luxuriance of growth. The leaf-anatomy much 

 resembles that of L. antipoduvi, described below, but the 

 stereome of the under-surface is replaced by water tissue, 

 and the spongy parenchyma m the middle of the leaf does 

 not seem quite so open as in the allied species. A specimen 

 which I have had in cultivation for some years side by side 

 with Stilbocarpa 'polaris, as mentioned above, has decidedly 

 thinner leaves than those of plants recently collected on 

 Auckland Island. 



Lujusticuiu antipoduvi is a rather smaller plant than Lig. 

 latifoliu7n, and the leaf-blade is cut into a great number of 

 narrow linear needle-like segments, the ultimate ones being 

 i 2 cm. long. The leaves of this plant are in part dealt 

 with when treating of the subalpine rocks of Campbell Island. 

 There is a thick cuticle on both surfaces. Next to the epi- 

 dermis is a ring of stereome, which stretches into the interior 

 of the leaf, alternating with broad layers of palisade paren- 

 chyma. The arrangement on the under-surface is much tlie 

 same, but the green tissue is composed of rounded cells. 

 In the centre of the leaf is spongy parenchyma with large 

 intercellular spaces. There are a number of resin-passages. 

 Stomata occur on both surfaces, and they are sunken. 



Myosotis capitata, although not endemic in the Southern 

 Islands, is by no means a common plant in New Zealand. In 

 winter it presents semi-rosettes of rather thick, soft, dark- 

 green leaves ± 5-3 cm. x ± 6 mm., covered on the upper 



