294 Transactions. — Botany. 



acuminate, sides nearly straight, claw long ; wings lanceolate, 

 acuminate, acute ; colour a clear lively scarlet. 



2. Clianthits maxim/us, Col. (S. form). 



Flower 2-2J inches long, 1^ inches broad ; standard broadly 

 ovate, acuminate, sides rounded, claw short ; wings somewhat 

 oblong, broad, very obtuse (rounded) at apex ; colour a less clear 

 red, verging to more of a dark or crimson hue, with a large dark 

 spreading blotch at base of the standard; flower broader ; and 

 the substance of the petals, especially the keel, thicker, more 

 coriaceous or skinny, and finely wrinkled. The leaves also of 

 this species are larger, some leaflets measuring more than two 

 inches ; these are also more membranous and glabrous than in 

 the northern form ; and the whole plant is stouter, rises higher, 

 generally from 6 to 10, or even 12, feet. 



The principal differences, however, which are clearly apparent 

 at first sight, (especially if the flowers of the two forms are 

 compared together in a living state), consist in their relative 

 sizes, in the shape of their standards, and more especially in 

 their wings, and also in their colours ; but whether those 

 differences, though constant, are sufficient to constitute two 

 separate species, or merely varieties, is of little consequence to 

 me — the two forms exist. 



And here I may further remark (having very frequently of late 

 years noticed it), that several of our indigenous New Zealand 

 plants, and in particular of genera of which it had always been 

 believed that New Zealand possessed but one species of each genus, 

 have now, at least, two species to each genus ; or if not exactly 

 (and beyond all controversy) two species, seeing that the limit 

 of a species can scarcely be clearly defined, then two forms ; the 

 southern form being very distinct from the northern one, yet 

 pretty closely resembling it in general appearance. And this I 

 have especially noticed to take place in the Orchid Order : e.g. 

 Dendrobium, Sarcochilus, Bolbophyllum, Gastrodia, Earina, 

 Microtis, and Orthoceras ; to which may be added Gratiola, 

 Dianella, Arthropodium, Tupeia, Australina, Hoheria, and many 

 others. 



To this mysterious subject, however, of dimorphism (found 

 here again in Clianthus), I hope to return on some future 

 occasion. 



In conclusion, I may add, that Lindley's description of 

 Clianthus pumceus agrees with the coloured drawing of the 

 English cultivated one already referred to, in which the ales, or 

 wings are correctly shown to be lanceolate acuminate with acute 

 tips. A. Cunningham's description of the same, in his " Pro- 

 dromus Novas Zealandias," (published several years after, 1839), 

 in " Annals of Natural History," vol. hi., p. 246), is drawn, as 

 he shows, from two sources, the one being " Solander's MSS. 



