Cockayne. — Undescribed Species of Cotula from Chatham Island*. ] 19 



Art. XIII. — An Undescribed Species of Cotula front the Chatham Islands. 



By L. Cockayne, Ph.D., F.R.S. 



Communicated by Dr. Charles Chilton. 



{.Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 2nd December, 1914.] 



Cotula Renwickii sp. nov. 



Herba perennis, erecta, circ. 1-2 m. alta. Caules stricti, sublignosi, 

 viridi, cicatricibus foliorum annulati. Folia obovato-spathulata, + 4 cm. 

 longa et + 14 mm. lata, glabra, membranaeea, 5-nervosa, basi aliquanto 

 dilatata, apice 3-5-crenata. Capitula 11 mm. diam., flavida ; pedunculi 

 11 mm. longi, vix pilosi pilis brevissimis albis ; involucri bracteae, 2-seriatae, 

 circ. 12, oblongae, 4 mm. longae, glabrae, apicibus scariosis. Radii flores. 

 multiseriati ; corolla ^ovoidea, basi dilatata obscure dentata ; disci flores 

 numerosi, 4-dentati. 



Hab. — Chatham Islands : Growing on the cliffs of the small islets known 

 as the Forty Fours. Named after Mr. Renwick, of Ouwenga, Chatham 

 Islands. 



C. Renwickii is evidently closely related to C. Featherstonii, but easilv 

 recognized by its greater stature, its stems ringed with old leaf-scars, its 

 thin glabrous leaves, those of C. Featherstonii being thickly covered with 

 brownish hairs and somewhat succulent, its shorter peduncle and its much 

 larger flower-heads, which, according to Mr. Renwick. are of considerablv 

 greater size than as given in the above description. 



I only possess one small scrap of the plant,* so the diagnosis will probably 

 need considerable modification and amplification. The specimen was kindly 

 sent to me by my friend Mr. F. A. D. Cox, who had received it from Mr. 

 Renwick, he in hia turn having got it from certain fishermen. These latter, 

 while in the vicinity of the Forty Fours, managed one day to effect a 

 landing — a by no means easy matter — and, while climbing the cliff, some 

 of the plants were broken off. These, falling into the sea, were picked 

 up by those in the boats and taken to Ouwenga, where they came into 

 the possession of Mr. Renwick, who managed for a time to cultivate one 

 plant. 



The species is of more than common interest, since, on the one hand, 

 it is so closely related to C. Featherstonii, a species hitherto supposed to be 

 quite unlike any other member of the genus, and, on the other hand, it is 

 possibly restricted to the small area where it was discovered, or, at most, 

 it may eventually be found on one or other of the islets of the Chatham 

 Group. 



The station, as given above, tells little about the actual habitat. Tin 

 growth-form is not in the least that of a true rock-plant. The closely related 

 C. Featherstonii is supposed to grow only on peat, where mutton-birds nest, 

 and perhaps this new species is restricted to some definite habitat. Mr. Cox 

 is endeavouring to procure more specimens, so that before long something 

 more should be known regarding this interesting species. 



* Since writing the above description Mr. D. Petrie has most kindly lent me another 

 specimen, a portion of the same gathering. 



