Oliver — N.Z. Ferns and Flowering-plants in London Herbaria. 365 



on the shoots much more narrow and acuminate It passes by gradations 

 into C. ruscifolia, and is possibly a derivative of that species. If the Andine 

 C. thymifolia is likewise a derivative of the South American forms of 

 C. ruscifolia, then the similarity of the two small-leaved mountain forms 

 may be due to convergence in similar habitats ; but they are nevertheless 

 easily separated, and should not pass under the same name. 



Aristotelia serrata (Forster). 



Dicera serrata Forst., Char. Gen., 80, 1776. Friesia racemosa 

 A. Cunn., Ann. Nat. Hist., 24, 1840. Aristotelia racemosa 

 Hook, f., Fl. Nov. Zel., 1, 33, 1853. 



Specimens marked " 227 Dicera serrata, G. Forster Herbarium," in the 

 British Museum, and which I presume are the type of Forster's species, 

 are the ordinary form of the plant usually known as Aristotelia racemosa. 

 There are also specimens of the same species in the Kew Herbarium labelled 

 " Herb. Mus. Paris, Dicera serrata Forst. Friesia racemosa A. Cunn., N. 

 Zelande (Akaroa), M. Ste. Croix de Bellegny." As Forster's name has 

 more than fifty years' priority over Cunningham's it should be adopted. 



Coprosma retusa Hook. f. 



Coprosma retusa Hook, f., Journ. Bot., 3, 415, 1844. C. Baueriana 

 Hook. f. (not Endl), Fl. Nov. Zel., 1, 104, 1853. 



In my account of the vegetation of the Kermadec Islands (Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., 42, 171, 1910) 1 omitted this, as I could find no specimens either on 

 Sunday Island or in any New Zealand herbarium. There are two specimens 

 in the Kew Herbarium collected on Sunday Island, August, 1887, by 

 Cheese man, so that the species should be reinstated in the Kermadec Island 

 flora. 



Art. XLI. — Descriptions of New Native Flowering-plants, with a 



few Notes. 



By D. Petrie, M.A., Ph.D., F.N.Z.Inst, 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 15th December, 1920 ; received by Editor, 31st 

 December, 1920 ; issued separately, 8th August, 1921.] 



Plates LVII, LVIIJ. 



1. Note on Pittosporum cornifolium A. Cunn. 



As existing descriptions of this interesting Pittosporum appear to be 

 imperfect, if not inaccurate, the following observations, which may help to 

 clear up the position, seem worthy of record. 



In July last I was able to study, on Kawau Island, a number of these 

 shrubs showing good flowers as well as ripe capsules. Most of fchem grew 

 on clay soil just above low sea-washed rocky faces. The plants were of 

 two kinds, which mav be distinguished as male and female. The male 



