10 Transactions. 



parts of New Zealand. The two best known bear the garden names of 

 L. Chapmanii* and L. Nicholsii* respectively. Seedlings in abundance 

 have been raised from the latter by Messrs. Nairn and Son, Christchurch, in 

 their nursery, and every opportunity was kindly afforded me of studying 

 their form, &c. (see Cockayne, 1907a). The colour of the original plant 

 is repeated more or less in the seedlings, but it varies a good deal, and some 

 flowers are white. Dark-coloured leaves, a parental character, accompany 

 the darker flowers. 



In a case recorded by Cheeseman the plant was reported by its finder, 

 Mr. R. J. Gilberd, to come true to colour (Cheeseman, 1908, p. 275). 



It is obvious that these crimson forms only appear occasionally, for 

 they are too striking in contrast with the familiar white blossoms to be 

 overlooked by even a casual observer. Further, the change of colour is 

 deep-seated in the plant, since the leaves are also affected. In L. Nicholsii 

 Hort., too, the plant is of a weeping habit, as opposed to the normal erect 

 stature. Finally, it must be noted that the semi-mutants grew in widely 

 separated localities, some in the South and others in the North Island. 



7. Double white form of Leptospermuni scoparium Foist. (Myrtac). 



This was found growing wild on pumice soil in the Hot Lakes district 

 by Mr. E. Philipps Turner. The doubling is very complete, and, so far as I 

 could judge from much-damaged specimens, resulted from petalody of the 

 stamens. Probably it is unable to produce seed. This case is of further 

 interest because double flowers, as De Vries has pointed out (1905, p. 489), 

 are exceedingly rare in the wild state, though so common in cultivation. 

 Only one individual was noted. The mutation was evidently quite spon- 

 taneous, and cannot be attributed to any sudden change of soil-conditions. 



Leptospermuni scoparium is a most variable plant. Doubtless some 

 of the forms are good elementary species. The form with pinkish flowers 

 and hairy leaves, &c, of northern Auckland, which occurs over wide areas 

 side by side with other forms from which it can be recognized at a glance, 

 is a case in point. 



8. Olearia semidentata Dene., form with white florets. 



The type has brilliant purple flower-heads. The white form was dis- 

 covered growing wild by Captain A. A. Dorrien Smith. It is now in 

 cultivation in the garden at Tresco Abbey, Scilly. 



A similar case is var. Dendyi Cockayne of Olearia chathamica T. Kirk, 

 found on Pitt Island by Dr. A. Dendy, F.R.S., and which has purple florets 

 and yellower denser tomentum on the under-surface of the leaf than the 

 type, the florets of which, moreover, are white fading to purplish. 



9. Metrosideros lucida Menzies, form with white flowers. 



The type has crimson flowers. The white -flowered form has been found 

 in two places, one plant which I have seen growing near the head of the 

 Otira Gorge, Westland, and the other lower down the valley. f 



10. Metrosideros tomentosa A. Rich., form with yellow flowers. 



Mr. H. Carse (Cheeseman, 1906, p. 1137) discovered one specimen with 

 yellow flowers, those of the type being dark crimson, at Rangaunu 

 Harbour, northern Auckland. 



* Because I use these garden names it must not be concluded that I consider the 

 plants of the same biological class as Linnean species, or even elementary species. 



1 1 am indebted to Mr. J. O'Malley, of Otira, for calling my attention to the latter plant. 



