260 Transactiom. — Botany. 



1^-2 inches long, a 2-lobed connate densely hairy bract at 

 base, and another about the middle ; hairs brown. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite, axillary, opposite, single, small, greenish with 

 a brown tinge, about 1 inch diameter, (?) monoecious ; sepals 4, 

 broadly-lanceolate, or sub-ovate lanceolate, sub-acute, 6 lines 

 long, conniving, very silky on both surfaces, many nerved 

 (6-7), nerves branching ; margins uneven at tips, sub-ciliate. 

 Stamens 10, sub-lanceolate-liuear, rather broad, green ; anthers 

 long, linear, very narrow, with a minute blunt connective ; 

 achenes (immature) slightly silky ; styles shorter than sepals, 

 green, silky, tips recurved. 



Hab. Trailing and hanging down on cliffy spots, Puketapu, 

 near Napier ; 1885-6 : Mr. H. Hill. 



Obs. This is a very peculiar plant, widely differing from 

 the other New Zealand species of this genus, as well as fi-om 

 those of Australia and Tasmania. We have now known it for 

 two years, and it always presents the same appearance — long 

 trailing slender green stems, no leaves, and single 4-sepaled 

 hermaphrodite flowers. I have examined several specimens, 

 and they do not vary; only one of them had three flowers, all 

 on separate peduncles and with separate basal bracts springing 

 from one axil, as if fascicled but distinct. It would have been 

 described by me last year, but I had a suspicion that it might 

 prove to be identical with C. fcetida, var. /3 depauperata, or a 

 variety of it; which, however, I do not now believe, after 

 re-examining several fresh specimens. 



Oeder IV.— VIOLAKIE^. 

 Genus 2. Melicytus, Forst. 

 1. M. microphyllus, sp. nov. 



A tall, slender shrub or small tree, 12-15 feet high, trunk 

 5 inches diameter ; bark pale drab-brown, much and densely 

 mossed, etc. ; branches long, slender ; branchlets many, sub- 

 erect, pubescent. Leaves small, numerous, sub-coriaceous, 

 glabrous, scattered, single and sub-fascicled 2-4 together, 1-8 

 (rarely 4) lines long, oblong-orbicular, sub-panduriform, and 

 orbicular, reticulately and coarsely veined, green, margin purple, 

 sinuate, acutely toothed with a small red curved tooth at extre- 

 mity of each primary vein (usuallj' on a leaf) ; apex very 

 broad, obtuse, and retuse, with a small central tooth ; base 

 tapering ; petiole short, under 1 line long, slightly puberulous, 

 with small scarious atipella3 at base. Flowers pretty numerous, 

 rather small, orbicular, 1^-2 lines diameter, axillary and lateral, 

 solitary, sometimes in pairs ; peduncle longer than petiole, 

 1-1^ lines long, stout, slightly puberulous, bractcate ; bracts 

 generally above, rarely below. Calyx purple, glabrous, veined, 



