334 Transactions. — Botany. 



A. Cauline leaves few, sessile. 



1. Gentiana lineata, n.s. Plate XXVII. 



Perennial ; densely tufted, much-branched from the root- 

 stock. Leaves radical, |in. long, ^jin. broad, narrow linear- 

 lanceolate, acute, narrowed into a flat petiole. Scapes 

 lin.-2in. high, naked or with one or two pairs of short linear 

 leaves below the middle, 1-flowered. Calyx divided nearly 

 to the base, segments linear-subulate, acute or acuminate ; 

 corolla divided fully two-thirds of its length, segments acute ; 

 ovary sessile. 



Hab. South Island : Hollows on the crest of the Longwood 

 Eange, Southland (1887) ; T. Kirk. 



A curious little plant, in some places forming a compact 

 sward. Its nearest ally is G. moutana, Forst. It is perhaps 

 the most easily recognized of all the New Zealand species. 



2. G. montana, Forster. Prodr., n. 133. 



Annual ; stems numerous or few, decumbent or suberect, 

 3in.-18in. long. Leaves usually distant, lower spathulate or 

 oblong-spathulate, cartilaginous, obtuse, narrowed into petioles 

 as long as the blade ; cauline ovate or oblong, sessile or 

 shortly petioled. Flowers usually numerous, on slender 

 spreading pedicels lin.-6in. long. Calyx lobes narrow linear- 

 subulate, acuminate ; corolla divided half-way down, seg- 

 ments subacute ; ovary sessile or rarely stipitate. A. Eich, 

 Fl. Nov. Zel., 203; E. Br., Prodr., 450; Willd., Sp. PL, i., 

 1334; A. Cunn., Precurs., n. 399; Eaoul, Choix, 44 ; Grise- 

 bach in DC, Prodr., ix., 99. Hook, f., Fl. N.Z., i., 178 ; Fl. 

 N.Z., i., 271; Handbook N.Z. Fl., 290. Bentham, Fl. Austr., 

 iv., 373 (partim). 



Hab. Chiefly in mountain districts from the East Cape to 

 Stewart Island. Descends to sea-level in Canterbury and 

 Otago. Ascends to 3,500ft. 



Forma typica. Stems prostrate or suberect, wiry, much- 

 branched. Flowers numerous. 



Forma grisebachii. Stems erect or suberect, slender, 

 sparingly branched ; ovary often stipitate in this form. G. 

 grisebachii, Hook, f., in Ic. PL, t. 636. 



Forma novce-zelandice. Slender, lin.-5in. high, leaves 

 more numerous, ovate-spathulate. G. nova-zelandice, J. F. 

 Armstrong in Trans. N.Z. Inst., iv. (1871), 291; "Index 

 Kewensis," i. 



Hab. North Island : Euahine Eange. South Island : 

 Waimakariri, Eangitata, &c. ; chiefly in damp situations. 



The above forms pass into each other by insensible grada- 

 tions. The last is merely a temporary state, most plentiful in 

 moist seasons. 



