VIOLARIES. 45 
“ 
Var. hydrocotyloides, Kirk, Students’ Fl, 41.—Much smaller, sparingly 
pilose. Leaves 4-}in. diam. Peduncles short.—V. hydrocotyloides, Armstr. in 
Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 360. 
NortH anp SoutH Isnianps, Stewart IsLANnD: Not uncommon from 
Whangarei southwards. Var. hydrocotyloides: Otago, Petrie! Stewart 
Island, Stack! Petrie! Kirk! Altitudinal range from sea-level to 4000 ft. 
November—February. 
The long creeping stems, small leaves, and fimbriate bracts and stipules 
distinguish this from the two following. It produces numerous reduced or 
cleistogamic flowers late in summer and autumn. 
2. V. Lyallii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 16.—Pertfectly glabrous. 
Stems slender, shorter than in V. filicawlis, ascending at the tips. 
Leaves 4-1lin. diam., broadly ovate or rounded, deeply cordate at 
the pies. obtuse or paoaie obscurely crenate or nearly entire; 
petioles variable in length, 2-6in. Stipules linear, entire. Pe- 
dunecles very slender, variable in length, 3-7in. Bracts usually 
above the middle, linear, entire. Flowers 4in. diam., white 
streaked with hlac and yellow.—Kirk, Students’ Fl. 41. V. Cun- 
ninghamii var. gracilis, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 16. Erpetion 
spathulatum, Ad. Cunn. Prodr, n. 622 (non G. Don.). 
NortH aNnp SoutH Istanps: Not uncommon from Kaitaia and Hoki- 
anga southwards; ascending to 4000 ft. on the Mount Arthur Plateau, Nelson. 
October—January. 
Usually a larger plant than the preceding, with the stem not so decidedly 
creeping, larger leaves and longer petioles, and with the stipules and bracts 
entire, not lacerate. The cordate leaves separate it from V. Cunninghamii. 
3. V. Cunninghamii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 16.—Glabrous 
except the petioles, which are occasionally pubescent. Rootstock 
often somewhat woody, creeping below, often branched above. 
Leaves tufted at the top of the rootstock, or on short branches 
springing from it, $-lin. diam., triangular-ovate or ovate-oblong, 
truncate at the base or narrowed into the petiole, obtuse or sub- 
acute, obscurely crenate ; petioles short or long. Stipules adnate 
at the base to the petiole, usually entire, acute. Peduncles slen- 
der, exceeding the leaves; bracts linear, acute. Flowers }-2 in. 
diam., white, usually streaked with lilac and yellow. Sepals 
linear - oblong. Lateral petals bearded. — Handb. N.Z. Fil. 16; 
Kirk, Students’ Fl. 41. V. perexigua, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. 
xyl. (1884) 326. 
NorTH AND SouTH IsLAnpDs, STEWART ISLAND: H'rom Rotorua and the East 
Cape southwards; abundant in many places, especially in the mountains. 
CHarHam Isnanps: Buchanan (Trans. N.Z. Inst. vii. 334). Altitudinal 
range from sea-level to 5000 ft. October—January. Also found in Tas- 
mania. 
The short stems and tufted leaves, which are usually either truncate at the 
base or narrowed into the petioles, are the best distinguishing characters of this 
plant. It varies greatly in size ; lowland specimens, growing among scrub, &c., 
sometimes have the petioles 8- Qin. long, and the peduncles of corresponding 
size, while alpine specimens are frequently much depauperated. The flowers of 
the latter, however, are usually larger than those of the lowland forms. 
