Cockayne. — Development, of Seedlings. 879 



their bases (Plate XXXIV., figs. 56, 58, 57). The four 

 apical leaves of each shoot in the seedling, as in most seedling 

 New Zealand Veroiiicas, through their margins approaching 

 and often touching, form a cup, which holds water and retains 

 it for a considerable time. The young leaves also are readily 

 wetted, the moisture being retained by the hairs, which may 

 perhaps be organs of absorption. In general appearance this 

 seedling form much resembles that of Saxifraga opjoositifolia, 

 L., also a Xerophyte, and growing in the high mountains of 

 Europe. 



No. 520. Veronica raoulii, Hook. f. 



Seed gathered from plant growing on rocky face at gorge 

 of Broken Eiver by A. H. Cockayne. Seed germinated 

 rapidly. 



Description of Seedling. 



Hypocotyle wiry, usually procumbent, variable in length, 

 1 cm. more or less. 



Cotyledons rather fleshy, glabrous or furnished on petiole 

 with very minute transparent hairs, 6 mm. long ; lamina 

 entire, ovate, obtuse, green above, purple beneath or purple 

 on both sides ; petioles subterete, flat or slightly channelled 

 above, connate at base. 



Stem ascending, often bent towards extremity, terete, 

 sparingly hairy with usually very short hairs ; internodes 

 variable in length (owing probably to the plants examined 

 being much crowded). 



1st pair of leaves ovate, crenate, at first 8 mm. long, faintly 

 hairy with very minute hairs, especially on the petiole, dull- 

 green on upper surface, purple on uuder-surface, with evident 

 midrib ; petioles as long as or a little longer than lamina, sub- 

 terete, faintly channelled above, connate at base. 



2nd pair of leaves very similar to 1st pair, channel of 

 petiole continuing half-way up lamina ; margin of leaf slightly 

 recurved, especially towards obtuse apex. 



V. raoulii grows on dry rocky faces, often exposed to full 

 sunshine, at an elevation of from 600 m. to 900 m. I have 

 never found any wild seedlings, and, although widely spread, 

 it never occurs very abundantly. Formerly it was found on 

 stony river-beds on the Canterbury Plains, according to Mr. 

 T. W. Adams, and there also it would be exposed to very great 

 drought. In cultivation in my shade - house plants from 

 Mount Isabel, Hanmer Plains district, have reverted in their 

 young growth to a semi-juvenile form with thin spathulate 

 leaves, lobed at apex, and with two teeth on each side, with 

 petiole equalling lamina — a very different form from the 

 adult, with its thick, coriaceous, yellowish-green, linear-spathu- 

 late, short-petioled, serrate leaf. 



