Cockayne. — Notes on New Zealand Floristic Botany. 61 



subcarnosae, primo tomentosae, mox virides pilis glandulosis obsitae ; 

 radii ligiilae circ. 9, ungue 11 mm. longo munitae ; disci flores numerosae ; 

 acherra scabra. 



South Island : North-eastern Botanical District — Leslie Hills, near 

 Hanmer, on dry rock. C. E. Christensen ! 



This species bears a superficial resemblance to Senecio bellidioides Hook. i. 

 and to small forms of S. lagopus Hook, f . ; but it differs from either in 

 its shrubby or perhaps sufTruticose habit, narrower and differently shaped 

 leaves, some of which are cauline, sunken reticulating veins of upper surface 

 of leaf, absence of bristles, and denser tomentum. 



The description of the inflorescence and florets may need revision, since 

 it was drawn up from scanty material taken from a plant cultivated for 

 me by Mr. Glen, Curator of the Wellington Botanical Gardens, to whom 

 my grateful thanks are due. 



'23. Veronica rotundata T. Kirk. 



This species was founded by T. Kirk upon specimens of a veronica col- 

 ected " near Wellington " and " near Southbridge," that botanist expressing 

 the opinion that the plant was " probably not infrequent " (Trans. N.Z. 

 Inst., vol. 28, p. 530, 1896). Cheeseman, in his Manual, pp. 504-5, admitted 

 the species as valid, but he had no material other than that originally 

 used by Kirk. An examination of the specimens of Veronica in Kirk's 

 herbarium, now in the possession of the Biological Department of Victoria 

 College, showed that there was only one sheet of specimens of V. rotundata, 

 and the habitat was " Newtown Park." Thus, so far as the Wellington 

 habitat goes, the obvious assumption is that the veronica in question is 

 possibly a garden form of hybrid origin. Nor is this discounted by the 

 Southbridge habitat, since that locality is a most unlikely one for any rare 

 New Zealand plant. The general appearance of the " species " also points 

 to a hybrid origin, and this is further supported by the fact that the plant 

 is more or less common in cultivation. 



24. Veronica salicifolia Forst. f. var. longiracemosa Cockayne var. nov. 



Frutex multiramosus usque 2-5 m. altus, valde floriferus. Folia lan< 

 lata vel late lanceolata. apiculata, chartacea, + 12 cm. longa, + 2 cm. 

 lata, mtegerrima, apicem versus interdum minutissime ciliata. Racemv 

 longissimi, cum pedunculo + 20 cm. longi ; rhachis pedicelli calyxque 

 pilosissimi ; corollae-lobi apice rotundati. 



North Island : Egmont-Wanganui Botanical District — Abundant with 

 other shrubs in open places both wet and dry. L. < ' 



This exceedingly handsome shrub appears to be constant in its cha- 

 racters in such parts of the botanical district mentioned above as I have 

 visited. It is distinguished from Veronica salicifolia Forst. f. var. com- 

 munis Cockayne in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 48, p. 202, 1916, by its much 

 longer racemes (which are frequently more than 18 cm. long), the more 

 pilose rhachis, pedicels, and calyx, and the longer leaves. 



The description of V. Parkinsoniana Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 21, 

 p. 97, 1889, in many particulars matches this variety, but the apex of the 

 leaf is described as obtuse. Possibly the two varieties should be united, but 

 uncertainty as to Colenso's plant forbids me using his specific name for 

 my variety. 



Occasionally the raceme of var. communis is much longer than ordinary. 

 For instance, there is in my herbarium a specimen gathered from a culti- 

 vated plant in the former garden of Mrs. F. Weymouth, Christchurch, which 



