264 Transactions.— -Botany . 



observer may be excused for doubting the specific identity of 

 several of the forms comprehended under the same name : for 

 instance, the plant named Sonchus asi^er by Fuchs exhibits 

 in many instances rigid leaves with crisped and waved margins 

 so closely fringed wdth brittle spines as to fully justify the ap- 

 plication of the trivial name when incautiously handled. By 

 its side may be seen another form with fiat, soft, membranous 

 leaves, more or less deeply cut into broad or narrow lobes, 

 utterly destitute of spines. A complete series of gradations 

 may, however, be found between the two forms, and, as their 

 flowers and fruit present no differential characters of the 

 slightest importance, both plants, notwithstanding their dis- 

 similarity, must be referred to the same species. 



In the "Flora Novoe-Zelandioe," and the "Handbook of 

 the New Zealand Flora," Sir Joseph Hooker recognises one 

 species — S. oleraceus, L. — of which he considers S. aspcr, Fuchs, 

 to be a variety. Bentham adopts the same view in the " Flora 

 Australiensis." Both the type and the variety vary to a great 

 extent in the outline, cutting, and texture of the leaves, but 

 may be briefly characterized as under : — 



Sonchus oleraceus, L., sp. 116. Forst., Prodr. n. 282. 



a. oleraceus. 



Leaves clasping, almost entire, or toothed, or deeply piu- 

 natifid. Cauline leaves, with large sagittate auricles. Achenes 

 with 3-5 longitudinal ribs, finely muricate, glabrous. 



p. asper. S. asper, Fuchs, Hist. 674. 



Leaves clasping, almost entire or lobed, or deeply pin- 

 natifid, sharply toothed, sometimes rigid, with the margins 

 crisped and spinulose. xlchenes longitudinally ribbed, gla- 

 brous. 



Both forms are common in cultivated land throughout the 

 colony. 



Sir Joseph Hooker considers that var. /3 is certainly in- 

 digenous in New Zealand, as it was collected by Banks and 

 Solauder. It is, however, certain that seeds of both forms 

 must have been rej)eatedly introduced since that period, and 

 that cross-fertilisation has taken place, since fruits of the 

 typical form exhibit all degrees of murication — some showing 

 only faint traces, while others are covered with small but 

 strongly-marked pittings. 



The Eev. W. Colenso, F.E.S., considers this var. fS to be 

 the puwha of the Maoris, who formerly used it for food, but 

 abandoned it for the introduced European plant, which is less 

 bitter. There is, however, a still more striking form which 

 may also have been utilised by the Maoris. Although widely 

 distributed it is somewhat local, and rarely occurs in large 

 quantity. I do not know any European form with which it 



