118 Transactions. 



Cotula Dendyi Cockayne sp. nov. 



C. atratae affinis seel robustiora capitulis majoribus, fiosculis luteis ve\ 

 fulvis et involucri bracteis fiosculis aequilongis vel excedentibus. 



Soutli Island : Common on subalpine and alpine shingle-slips of the 

 drier mountains where there is a steppe climate. 



Although this species is extremely close to C. atrata Hook, f., it may 

 be at once recognized by the colour of the florets, which are never black, 

 but vary from quite pale yellow to brown, and the involucral bracts equal- 

 ling or rather longer than the florets. The plant frequently grows in com- 

 pany with C. atrata. It is quite possible that the brown-flowered form 

 is a hybrid between the yellow form and the black C. atrata. 



Senecio southlandicus Cockayne sp. nov. 



Herba perennis S. lagopo affinis. Folia radicalia suberecta, rosulata ; 

 lamina ovato-oblonga, oblonga vel fere rotundata, obtusa, 6-11 cm. longa. 

 membranacea vel subcoriacea, supra aliquando setosa sed plerumque glabra, 

 subtus saepe purpurascens, glabrescentia vel sparse tomentosa pilis sericeis, 

 basi rotundata vel cordata vel truncata ; petiolus nonnumquam strictus, 

 2-12 cm. longus valde glanduloso-pilosus. Scapus 12-30 cm. altus, ramosus, 

 pilosus pilis sericeis adpressis. Capitula saepe 9, 3-4 cm. diam. ; involucri 

 bracteae pilosae, apice ferruginosae ; radii ligulae 16 mm. longae, patentes, 

 luteae ; achenia lineares, glabra. 



South Island : Otago — Common in tussock steppe and in the shade 

 of Leptos penman scoparimn in the neighbourhood of Balclutha, Gore, 

 Tapanui, &c. ; but the actual distribution cannot be denned. It has not 

 been noted in North Otago or Canterbury. D. L. Poppelwell ! L. ( !. 



The plant here described is, in part, the S. bellidioides of Petrie's list of 

 Otago plants.* Also by Kirk and Cheeseman it was similarly placed. But 

 from S. bellidioides it differs in its usually much larger size ; in the absence 

 of bristles in the greater number of its individual plants, or, if bristles 

 are present, they occur in extremely small numbers ; in the purplish under- 

 surface of the leaf, the much-branched scapes, and the numerous heads. 

 From S. lagopus Eaoul the thin leaves without bristles and the non- 

 glandular scape at once separate it. 



The species is, indeed, far more distinct from S. bellidioides and S. lagopus 

 than are these from one another. The classification of the whole series, 

 including those already mentioned, together with *S'. saxifragoides Hook. f. 

 and >S'. Haastii Hook, f., is in a most unsatisfactory position. Specimens 

 are constantly coming to me from various correspondents which it is im- 

 possible to place with any degree of satisfaction. There are undoubtedly 

 a number of well-marked forms, which demand, at the least, varietal names. 

 Even one fixed character may serve quite well as a specific mark. This 

 is illustrated in the case of S. saxifragoides and S. lagopus (the type from 

 Akaroa), where the presence of numerous bristles, or their absence, on the 

 upper surface of the leaf is the sole distinguishing character, so that, so far 

 as large plants of the two are concerned, if this character were not present, 

 no one could consider them in any degree different. 



I must record my thanks to Mr. D. L. Poppelwell. of Gore, who most 

 kindly sent me abundant living material of S. southlandicus and extremely 

 valuable ecological notes regarding its sun and shade forms. 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 28, 1896, p. 564. 



