Petrie. — Descripfion!< of New Native Flowering-plmits. 107 



3. Urtica aspera sp. nov. 



Planta U . imisae Poir. afiinis ; differt floribus dioeciis ; foliis subcori- 

 aceis obtuse nee alte serratis ; culmis ramis ac petiolis pilis pungentibus 

 dense vestitis ; foliorum nervis parce similiter vestitis. 



A rather rigid niucli-branched dioecious herb, 30-40 cm. high. Stems 

 moderately stout, densely clothed with rather stiff white stinging hairs, as 

 are the branches, petioles, and inflorescence. Leaves opposite ; petioles 

 rather stout, as long as the blades or somewhat longer ; blades coarsely 

 and bluntly but not deeply serrate, ovate or ovate-deltoid, more rarely 

 cuneate at the base, 4: 5 cm. long, + 3 cm. broad, acute, subcoriaceous, 

 with scattered stinging hairs on the nerves both above and below. Male 

 inflorescence single or geminate from the axils of the upper leaves of the 

 stem and the branches, rather long spicate, bearing short rather distant 

 small clusters of flowers ; perianth glabrous ; female inflorescence simple 

 or branched, with more numerous crowded flowers ; nuts broadly ovoid, 

 enclosed in the not enlarged perianth. 



Hab. — Among tussock-grass in the more open parts of Firewood Creek, 

 Cromwell, at about 2,300 ft. ; Sowburn, Maniototo County, among patches 

 of Discaria toutnatou Raoul : D. P. Head of Awatere Valley, Marlborough : 

 L. Cockayne. An indifferent specimen collected by B. C. Aston in the 

 Dee Valley, Clarence basin, is probably of this species. 



4. Thelymitra caesia sp. nov. 



T. puIcheUae Hk. f. afiinis ; dift'ert floribus subcoeruleis, sepalis petaliscjue 

 acutis, columnae lobo posteriore bifido ac apice subcrenulate incrassato, 

 lobis lateralibus latis valde complanatis brevioribus insuper a marginibus 

 subpectinate fimbriatis. 



Stems moderately slender, 65 cm. high or less. Leaves shorter than the 

 stem, variable in length, long-sheathing at the base, linear, fleshy, concave 

 above, shining light green, midrib obscure. Cauline bracts usually two, 

 thin, short, sheathing for most of their length, rather abruptly acuminate ; 

 floral thin, lanceolate-acuminate, slightly exceeding the peduncles. Flowers 

 about five, laxly racemose, shortly pedunculate, large ( + 2| cm. across) ; 

 sepals and petals ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute (sepals slightly the longer), 

 lavender-coloured but closely streaked with deep blue ; lip broader, paler, 

 sharply narrowed above and less acute. Column stout, broadly winged, 

 much shorter than the perianth, 3-lobed ; posterior lobe bifid, shorter than 

 the anther, its divisions truncately obtuse, thickened and slightly incurved 

 along their somewhat wavy brownish-yellow tops ; lateral lobes short but 

 equalling the anther, forming broad thin flattened plates, subjjectinately 

 fimbriate along the upper margins, the fimbriate processes more or less 

 cut into very short hair-like subdivisions ; anther broad, connective pro- 

 duced into a short slightly grooved tip. 



Hah. — Birkdale-Glenfield Reserve, Waitemata County. Flowers late 

 November and early December. 



This species was collected recently by Mr. H. B. Matthews, who has 

 for several years devoted much time and attention to hunting up the native 

 orchids, with quite remarkable enthusiasm, acuteness, and success. To 

 him I am indebted for the specimens examined and for a note of the tint of 

 the leaves and the colour of the perianth. When the species is better known 

 the range in stem-height and in the number of flowers may be greater than 

 the present description discloses. The species is clearly a fairly close ally 

 of T. mdchella Hk. f. 



