Cockayne. — On New Species of Plants. 419 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATES XXXV.-XXXVII. 

 Plate XXXV. 



Portion of unburnt subalpine scrub, with Aciphylla colensoi in centre, 

 Veronica canterburiensis on left-hanci side, and Phormium cookii 

 on right hand. Part of Section A. 



Plate XXXVI. 



Herbaceous plants in Section C, reproduced after fire. Astelia nervosa, 

 Ligustictim haastii, and Ourisia macrocarpa at bottom of plate ; 

 higher up Celmisia coHacea for most part. 



Plate XXXVII. 



Portion of Section G in foreground, and part of Section E with Canter- 

 bury spur of Mount Rolleston m distance. Burnt and living sub- 

 alpine scrub. Towards the centre of the plate Phormium and fern 

 may be seen taking possession. 



Art. XXXIV. — Descriptions of New Species of Astelia, 

 Veronica, and Celmisia. 



By L. Cockayne. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 22nd February, 



1899.] 



Astelia petriei, sp. iiov. 



A densely tufted evergreen plant, with large, thick, coria- 

 ceous, long-pointed leaves arising from a tuberous stem, and 

 spreading into large patches by means of wiry subterranean 

 stolons. 



Leaves from 55 cm. long x 3 cm. broad in large specimens 

 to a few centimetres long in small ones, linear-subulate, with 

 a long acicular apex ; upper surface almost glabrous, except 

 for some scattered minute scaly hairs and a very few distant 

 longer pale hairs, furrowed with many unequal longitudinal 

 furrows, the two halves bent upwards at an angle with the 

 sunken purple midrib, so forming a deep channel, especially 

 towards base of leaf ; uuder-surface with sharp green midrib, 

 silvery with thin scaly tomentum, except on the numerous 

 parallel green nerves ; margins entire, with a few scattered 

 hairs ; sheaths pale-coloured or white, very fleshy towards the 

 base, completely surrounding the leaf-sheath beneath, and 

 joined to sheath on opposite side by a thin delicate trans- 

 parent membrane contmuous with the epidermis, the whole 

 bundle of leaf-sheaths forming a false stem, which arises from 

 the tuberous stem below; margins and dorsal surface of sheath 

 hairy, with pale straggling hairs. 



