372 Transactions. — Botany. 



Succeeding leaves very similar, but become more tri- 

 angular, often ovate-lanceolate, more rugose above, while 

 below the veins form a complete pink network, sometimes 

 with reddish-brown round apex, and sometimes cordate or 

 subcordate at base ; each young leaf as it developes at first 

 perfectly bristles with hairs. 



The extreme thinness of the seedling leaves as compared 

 with those of the adult plant is of interest. The seedhngs 

 have been grown in a moist greenhouse, and abundantly 

 supplied with water. A prostrate form of Rubies recently 

 brought by Mr. S. D. Barker from Glen Bonnie, Westland, 

 and growing in the forest in complete shade, has mature 

 leaves remarkably like those described above, while in the 

 very wet forests of that district the common Rnhus (possibly 

 B. corclata,''' Armstg.) has leaves of a very thin texture. The 

 adult form of the seedling plant described has leaves coria- 

 ceous and stiff, with much smaller toothing (in comparison to 

 size of leaf), very smooth and polished on the upper surface, 

 a leaf-structure well suited to resist the drying influence of 

 almost constant winds. 



Sophora microphylla, Ait. Plate XXXII. , fig. 25. 



Seed gathered from plant growing on bank of Broken 

 River, near its junction wdth the Waimakariri. Germinated 

 very irregularly, some in four weeks, some in twelve weeks, 

 and some took much longer still. 



Description of Seedling. 



Cotyledons hypogeal, thick, fleshy, obovate, obtuse, falcate, 

 plano-convex, with the flat sides together and not separating, 

 9 mm. X 6 mm., and the two together 7 mm. thick. 



Stem at first tapering from the base, subterranean part 

 paler white than aerial, grows very rapidly at first, 2-3 cm. 

 long before any leaves are fully developed, afterwards yel- 

 lowish-brown, scaly and hairy with adpressed hairs, at first 

 straight, then flexuose, branching at each node at first ; 

 young twigs extremely bristly, with adpressed greyish-white 

 bristles; internodes, in plant 9cm. high, at first 1-1 cm., later 

 ones longer, 2'1 cm. 



Leaves : First few simple ; afterwards ternate and impari- 

 pinnate, exstipulate, petiolate, bright yellowish-green, alter- 

 nate ; leaflets obcordate, varying in width and size, articu- 

 lated to petiole, slightly hairy on under-surface, penninerved ; 

 nerves and midrib raised beneath ; under-surface pale bluish- 

 green ; margins faintly incurved, thickened ; petioles chan- 

 nelled, hairy, semi-terete. 



* Trans. N.Z. Insc, vol. xii., p. 338. Merely the name is given, with 

 no description except " Leaves cordate." 



