Pktrik. — New Native Phanerogams. I'.t 



obviously distinct from any of the known native species, and seems most 

 nearly related to A. Spedeni Cheesm. It differs from this in having rather 

 long leafy stems closely covered by imbricating broadly cimeate coriaceous 

 leaves, each with 3 pairs of leaflets, all nearly equalling the terminal one, 

 and the lowermost pair somewhat remote. Above, the prominent midrib 

 is thickened and channelled, while the margins of the glabrous pungent- 

 pointed leaflets are yellowish and strongly thickened. The veins diverge 

 obliquely from the midrib, forming narrow more or less oblong areoles. 

 The flowers and fruit are still unknown. Mr. Crosby Smith having omitted 

 to collect them, as he supposed the plant was A. Dobsoni Hook, f., to which 

 it bears some resemblance in habit of growth, though otherwise very 

 different. A fuller description is deferred until flowering specimens are 

 obtained. Meanwhile this notice may serve to direct attention to an 

 interesting novelty. 



3. Aciphylla cartilaginea sp. nov. 



Culmi LO-18 cm. longi e radice simplici v. + divisa crassa elongata. 



Folia omnia radicalia baud numerosa 6-9 cm. longa trifoliolata v. pin- 

 nata. foliolis 3-5 ad 3-4 cm. iongis + 3 mm. latis cartilagineis in apicem 

 rigidum pungentem attenuatis ; costa media prominente flava canalicu- 

 lata, marginibus flavis incrassatis, venis obscuris a costa angulis fere 

 paribus abeuntibus ; vaginae foliis duplo breviores latae sensim deorsum 

 dilatatae membranaceae striatae, nervis parallelis manifestis. 



Inflorescentia feminea 5-7 cm. longa culmo subcrasso canaliculato 

 recto folia plerumque excedente fulta, umbellis 5-6 confertis a bracteis 

 breviusculis late vaginantibus ac in foliola tria longiuscula spiniformia 

 pungentia continuatis paene absconditis. 



Fructus lineari-ellipticus 3 mm. longus. 



Stems 10-18 cm. .high, from a simple or branched elongated tap-root 

 as thick as the middle finger. 



Leaves all radical, rather few, 6-9 cm. long, trifoliolate or more 

 commonly pinnate with 2 pairs of leaflets and a terminal one, the lateral 

 leaflets sometimes giving off a secondary leaflet on the outer side, stiffly 

 cartilaginous ; leaflets 3-4 cm. long, 2J--3 mm. broad, narrowed to a spinous 

 pungent point with a conspicuous channelled yellow midrib and thickened 

 yellow margins, veins obscure issuing from the midrib almost at right 

 angles ; sheaths half as long as th ■ leaves, or rather more, g adually 

 widening out below, membranous, striate, broad, with evident parallel veins. 



Flowering-stems rather thin and flexuous in male plants, stouter grooved 

 and straight in female ones ; female inflorescence 5- 7 cm. long, umbels 

 5-6 crowded small almost concealed by the rather short broadly sheathing 

 -bracts which end in 3 longish spinous pungent leaflets. 



Fruit linear-elliptic, 3 mm. long. 



Hab.—Wet alpine meadow of the higher hills of Stewart Island ; Mount 

 Rakiahua, P. Goyen ! D. Petrie; Frazer Peaks, F. R. Chapman! (4. M. 

 Thomson ! D. Petrie. 



The present plant has its nearest ally in A. Traillii T. Kirk, to which 

 Mr. Cheeseman refers it (Manual, p. 212). The leaves of the two species 

 are very different, and are alone sufficient to distinguish them. The 

 differences are partly noted in Mr. Kirk's original description of A. Traillii. 

 The broad canaliculate yellow midrib, the thickened vellow margins, and 



