Petrie. — Descriptions of New Native Phanerogams. 189 



patclies several feet across, adorned by masses of lovely flowers. It is 

 not closely related to M. amabilis, but that is the only northern species 

 with which it might be confounded. 



5. Veronica evenosa sp. nov. 



Frutex 15-24 dcm. altus glaberrimus, ramis primariis paucis longis late 

 diffusis in ramulos complures graciles ad apicem foliatos subdivisis. 



Folia anguste elliptica l|-3 cm. longa 1 cm. lata, subpatentia imbricata 

 integerrima glabra, acuta vel subacuta, tenuia evenosa sessilia nee pctio- 

 lata nee punctulata, ramulos basi amplectentia, haud connata, subtus 

 evidenter carina ta. 



Racemi 2 (raro 3) in axillis foliorum supremorum dispositi foliis duplo 

 longiores, rhachis gracilis sparse pubescens a parte inferiorenuda. 



Flores parvi (5 mm. longi) albi ; calyx 4-partitus, lobis oblongis tenuibus 

 ad margines scariosis ac ciliatis ; corollae tubus calyce duplo longior, limbo 

 in lobos 4 rotundatos secto ; antheris ac stylo exsertis ; ovario glabro. 



Capsula haud visa. 



A tall (5-8 ft.) glabrous shrub with stout widely-spreading main branches, 

 towards their tops freely subdivided into slender twigs leafy only at the 

 tips. 



Twigs blackish-brown, slender, terete, ringed with the scars of fallen 

 leaves. 



Leaves subpatent, imbricating, narrow elliptic, |-1^ in. long, f in. broad 

 at the middle, sessile not connate but completely clasping the younger 

 twigs, glabrous, acute or subacute, thin, veinless, entire, slightly recurved 

 at the edges when dried, dull green above, below yellowish-brown (when 

 dried), midrib grooved above, obviously keeled below, keel reddish-brown 

 slightly excurrent at the tip. 



Racemes 2 (rarely 3) in the axils of the uppermost leaves, twice as long 

 as the leaves, dense-flowered ; rachis slender, dark brown, sparsely pubescent, 

 the lower third naked ; bracts narrow ovate or almost linear, about as 

 long as the short pedicels. 



Flowers small, white ; calyx 4-partite, the lobes oblong, thin, ciliate 

 along the scarious margins ; tube of the corolla rather wide, twice as long 

 as the calyx, the limb cut into 4 broadly rounded lobes a little shorter than 

 the tube ; anthers and style exserted ; ovary glabrous. 



Ripe capsules not seen. 



^fl.&.— Upper edge of forest belt on Mount Holdsworth, Tararua Range, 

 about 2,800 ft. 



The present species appears to have been confounded with F. laevis 

 (Benth.). In the latter the leaves are shorter, distinctly petiolate, coriaceous 

 and punctulate below ; there is always a conspicuous gap between them 

 where they spring from the twigs. It is also a much lower and more com- 

 pactly growing shrub. I have not seen Buchanan's specimens of F. laevis 

 from the Tararuas, but it may be suspected that they belong here. 



■6. Veronica imbricata sp. nov. 



Frutex habitu compactus a vertice rotundatus 40-60 cm. altus ad 40 cm. 

 in diam. 



Rami juniores teretes vel obscure tetragoni rigidi erecti sursum ± sub- 

 ■divisi, foliis brevibus imbricantibus dense vestiti. 



