Colenso. — On new Phanogamic Plants. 189 



II. Of this plant I have received three entire specimens, in leaf 

 only, but evidently mature and old from their thick root-stocks ; 

 one (the largest) has 3, one 4, and one (the smallest plant) 

 6 leaves ; the plants are pretty nearly alike. Unfortunately I 

 have not seen any flowers or fruit, nor any old vestiges of the 

 same ; but the peculiar shaped and striking reticulated leaves 

 have induced me to describe it and make it known. 



Oreer IV.— VIOLARIE^l. 

 Genus 2. Melicytus, Forst. 



1. M. microphylhis, sp. nov. 



Female. — Free, small, and slender, much like the male 

 plant described," trunk bare, erect, once forked at 6 feet from the 

 ground ; young branchlets very long and slender, almost filiform, 

 dark purple, finely puberulous. Leaves few and scattered, as in 

 male plaut, but smaller, usually 2-3 (rarely 4) lines long, base 

 sub-truncate ; petioles 1-1J lines long. Flowers rather numerous, 

 scattered, small, scarcely 1 line diameter, axillary and lateral, 

 solitary, sometimes 2 (very rarely 3) together ; peduncles short, 

 about 1 line long, puberulous and bibracteate ; bracts deltoid, 

 brown, scarious, laciniate, with several similar stipellae at base. 

 Calyx persistent, dark purple, thickish ; lobes 5, broadly oblong, 

 with produced membranous brown laciniate-fringed tips ; petals 

 5, sub-orbicular-oblong, white, with a delicate greenish tinge, 

 sometimes purple-streaked, margins thickened and incurved, 

 tips finely laciniate - ciliate, recurved; anthers 5, sessile, 

 small, alternate with petals, sub-orbicular, with 2 minute erect 

 horns at tip of connective, and a fleshy scale at back ; style short, 

 thick ; stigma large, depressed, spreading, somewhat irregular, 

 papillose or sub-rugulose, usually with 3 acute angles, their tips 

 brown and incurved ; ovary large, oblong, sub-cylindrical. Berry 

 2^ lines long, 1^ lines broad, oblong-ovoid, obtuse, dark-purple, 

 smooth, a little fleshy ; stigma and calyx persistent. Seeds 2, 

 ovoid, l£ lines long, largely gibbous on one side, the other flat, 

 glossy, purple-spotted, one edge raised and thickened, tip a little 

 incurved, sub-acute. 



Hab. On the banks of a small stream in a forest south of 

 Danneverke, County of Waipawa ; February, 1887 : W.C. 

 (But only one tree seen ; bearing ripe fruit, in May.) 



Obs. The discovery of this plant pleased me much, as it 

 served to confirm the validity of the species. In my description 

 of the male plant (in vol. xix.), I had mentioned it being very 

 near to M. micranthus, Hook, f., though with larger flowers and 

 smaller leaves, etc. ; the female plant, however, differs more 

 largely and materially, particularly in the peculiar shape of its 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xix., p. 260. 



