Colenso. — (hi new Phtmogamic Plants. 193 



(or peduncles) 1-2 inches long, of 3 (rarely 4) fasciculated pedi- 

 cels, each suh ^ inch long, with two small opposite bract-like 

 leaves at their base ; corolla cream-coloured, trilobed ; lobes 

 broadly-ovate or deltoid-rotund ; tips sub-acute, their upper 

 margins slightly fringed tubercular, with a strong central nerve, 

 and a coloured intra-marginal nerve-like line. Fruit sub- 

 globose, minutely papillose {sub lente), dark-coloured, nearly 

 black. 



Hub. Edges of streamlets in dense shaded woods near 

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



Obs. This species is rather peculiar from its very small tri- 

 lobed corolla with tuberculate margins, and its thickly entangled 

 habit of growth, forming thick beds. It may, however, prove to 

 be a southern variety of A. Cunningham's northern New Zealand 

 species, (J. tenuicaule; of which only an imperfect description 

 (omitting its flowers) is given by him in his " Prodromus ; " 

 while Hooker f., in his " Handbook," merely says in addition, 

 of the corolla of that species : " Flowers white, ^th inch dia- 

 meter." 



Ordee XXXIX.— COMPOSITiE. 



Genus 1. Olearia, Mceuch. 



1. 0. xantkophylla, sp. nov. 



A. small, low, diffuse, much-branched shrub, " 1 foot 6 inches 

 high;" branchlets erect, 2-4 inches long, simple, rather 

 slender, glabrous, yellow (as are the leaves beneath) with dry 

 gummy exudation. Leaves numerous, small, closely imbricated 

 and adpressed, somewhat sub-decussately arranged, obovate- 

 spathulate, 3 lines long, 1| lines broad at widest, obtuse, coria- 

 ceous, entire, glabrous with a few weak woolly hairs at tips ; 

 brownish on the upper surface, bright yellow (almost orange) 

 on the lower and covered with a thick yellow scurf or gum very 

 closely adhering, corrugated, the midrib stout ; margined, the 

 margin thick, dark-brown with a shining gummy appearance ; 

 petioles thick, dilated and rugulose at base. Flowers terminal at 

 tips of branches, in thick globular compact corymbs, -|-f inch 

 diameter ; heads small, obconical, 2 lines diameter, containing 

 about 9 florets ; peduncles 2 lines long, grooved, bi-bracteolate ; 

 bracteoles opposite, small, ovate, acute, spreading, woolly (as also 

 pedicels) ; pedicels £ line long with 1 small bracteole at base of 

 head ; the outer involucral scales imbricate in 2 rows (inner row 

 longest), pale yellowish-brown, sub-scarious, loosely silky, edges 

 very membranous, tips obtuse and irregularly cut ; the inner 

 scales, tips pure white, much laciniate, recurved, their lateral 

 margins serrulate, slightly and loosely woolly, base bifid. Pappus 

 few, white, short, equal, a very little longer than florets, thickened 

 and dilated at tips. Acheue small, sub-cylindrical, slightly 

 grooved, dilated at base, glabrous. 



13 



