450 GENTIANEZ. [Gentiana. 
ceous, rather thick and fleshy when fresh. Cauline leaves one or 
two pairs, seldom more, #-2in. long, linear-lanceolate or linear- 
oblong, sessile. Flowers large, $—#in. diam., white, in large com- 
pact terminal umbels or cymes 2-6in. diam. or more; pedicels 
slender. Calyx short, often less than one-half the length of the 
corolla, campanulate, divided from 4 to 4 wav down, rarely more ; 
lobes lanceolate- deltoid, acute or acuminate. Corolla divided about 
two-thirds way down; lobes broadly oblong, rounded at the tip. 
Ovary stipitate.—G. saxosa var. y, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 191. 
G. pleurogynoides var. rigida, Kirk. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. 
(1895) 335. 
SourH Istanp: Mountain districts from Nelson to Otago, abundant. 
1000-4000 ft. January—March. 
A very handsome plant, in its ordinary state well distinguished by the 
stout usually simple and almost naked stems, long and narrow crowded rosu- 
late radical leaves, aud dense cymes or umbels of large white flowers, the 
calyx of which is broad and short, with lanceolate-deltoid acute lobes. Mr. 
Brown informs me that it corresponds with the G. suxzosa var. y of the Hand- 
book, and I suspect that it also includes a part of the G. plewrogynoides of 
the same work. At any rate, it is the plant which New Zealand botanists have 
been accustomed to call G. pleurogynoides. The true G. plewrogynoides was 
founded on Tasmanian specimens, and has not yet been satisfactorily matched 
with any New Zealand plant. 
6. G. Townsoni, Cheesem. n. sp.— Perennial; root slender, 
woody, often branched at the top. Flowering stems usually single, 
rarely 2 or 3 from the root or branched from the base, erect, 
slender, wiry, 6-20in. high. Leaves almost black when dry; 
radical very numerous, crowded at the base of the stem, spreading 
or ascending, small for the size of the plant, 4-14in. long, ++ in. 
broad, ovate-lanceolate or trowel-shaped to linear-lanceolate, nar- 
rowed into a rather slender petiole, coriaceous or almost fleshy, 
subacute or obtuse. Cauline leaves in 2-5 remote pairs, ascending, 
lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, sessile, subacute. Flowers white, 
large, 2in. diam. or more, in 5-12-flowered terminal cyines or 
umbels ; pedicels slender; bracts usually whorled. Calyx about 
half the length of the corolla, cut about three-quarters way down ; 
lobes lanceolate, acute. Corolla deeply divided; lobes broadly 
oblong, rounded at the tip.—G. saxosa var. pleurogynoides, Hook. 
f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 178, im part. G. pleurogynoides, Hook. f. 
Handb. N.Z. Fl. 190, in part (not of Griseb.). 
South Isutanp: Nelson— Bidwill (n. 67 in Herb. Kew, fide N. EH. 
Brown); coast ranges near Westport, Mount Frederic, Mount Rochfort, Mount 
Buckland, &c., Townson! Sounds of the south-west coast of Otago, Lyall (fide 
N. E. Brown). 1000-4000 ft. January—March. 
A very beautiful plant, easily recognised by the tall slender strict stems, 
small uniform crowded leaves, which are almost black when dry, remote ascend- 
ing cauline leaves, and rather dense umbels of large flowers. I have seen no 
specimens but Mr. Townson’s, from which the above description is drawn up; 
