Colenso. — 0)1 Phsenogams. 393 



.->' 



large amount of time in close and repeated examinations of 

 them, thinking, at first, they were merely varieties of G. 

 sinclairli, and have concluded in their being distinct. 



Genus 7. Veronica, Linn. 



1. V. venustula, sp. nov. 



A small compact bushy low shrub, 6in.-9in. high ; 

 branches and branchlets many, short. Leaves numerous, 

 subdecussate and subimbricate, close, sub-obovate-oblong, 

 7-3 lines long, 4 lines broad, acute, patent, thickish, dark- 

 green, glabrous, midrib rather prominent below at tip; 

 petioles very short, stout, flattish. Flowers rather large for 

 shrub, terminal, crowded in subcorymbs on short racemes 

 lin.-ljm. long ; pedicels 2-| lines long, puberulent ; bracts 

 subulate, acute, as long as pedicels, margins (as also sepals) 

 ciliolate, the hairs glandular. Sepals sub-linear-ovate, as 

 long as ovary. Corolla pure white (buds purple-tinted on 

 outside before expanding), segments 4, 3 of them sub-ovate- 

 ac-ute, 1 smaller and narrower ; tube as long as limb, throat 

 pubescent ; stamens erect exserted, longer than corolla ; 

 anthers purple, sagittate, tips obtuse, subversatile ; style 

 longer than stamens ; stigma capitate. Capsule broadly- 

 obovoid obtuse turgid, glabrous, dark-brown, 2^ lines long, 

 twice length of calyx — which also increases in size in fruiting. 

 Seeds few, broadly-elliptic, 1 line long, thin, smooth, sub- 

 plano-convex, light-brown, notched at one end. 



Hab. On eastern side of Ruahine mountain-range, County 

 of Waipawa; 1892-94: Mr. A. Olsen. 



Obs. A neat-looking shrub of very compact growth, allied 

 to V. Icsv'is, and to V. buxifolia, but differing from them in 

 several characters, — as, leaves not keeled nor cordate, pedicels 

 long, sepals and bracts long narrow acute and glandular, 

 flowers terminal forming thick heads, corolla tube long, and 

 throat hairy. 



Order LXXIII. Piperacb^. 

 Genus 1. Peperomia, Ruiz and Pavon. 

 1. P. muricatulata, sp. nov. 



Plant herbaceous, succulent, glabrous, glossy, ascending and 

 erect, simple, 10in.-12in. high ; stems stout, as thick as a 

 goose-quill, green ; rootlets produced from lower nodes where 

 stem decumbent. Leaves few, alternate distant (fin. apart 

 on stem), orbicular and orbicular-obovate, lin.-liin. long, 

 slightly tapering at base, 3- (the largest 5-) nerved, nerves 

 apparent, anastomosing at tip and margins, dark-green above 

 pale-green below, petiolate ; petioles 3 lines long, semiterete, 

 deeply channelled above, lateral edges at base decurrent. 



