502 SCROPHULARINEZ. [ Veronica. 
Best recognised by the dense curved racemes, small flowers, narrow corolla- 
lobes, and small densely compacted capsules. It is a purely littoral plant, 
abundant on cliffs near the sea in the East Cape district, but has not been seen 
at Whangarei or Cook Strait of late years. The South Island locality of Tarn- 
dale, ascribed to it in the Handbook, is almost certainly erroneous. 
5. V. divergens, Cheesem.n. sp.— A much-branched shrub 
2-5 ft. high; branches stout, spreading, the younger ones pube- 
rulous. Leaves spreading, sessile or very shortly petiolate, 3-1} in. 
long, +-4in. broad, oblong or linear-oblong to elliptic-oblong or 
-ovate, acute or obtuse, narrowed at the base, flat, coriaceous, quite 
glabrous, midrib distinct on both surfaces, margins entire. Racemes 
axillary and opposite near the tips of the branches, stout, peduncled, 
2-3 in. long or more, dense-flowered; rhachis pubescent; pedicels 
as long as the calyx; bracts equalling the pedicels or rather shorter. 
Flowers 1-+in. diam., white. Calyx 4-partite; segments oblong- 
ovate, obtuse or acute, margins ciliolate. Corolla-tube short and 
broad, not exceeding the calyx ; limb longer than the tube, 4-lobed ; 
lobes broadly oblong, obtuse, the anterior one narrower. Stamens 
exserted. Capsule iin. long, broadly elliptic-oblong, subacute, 
compressed, glabrous, twice as long as the calyx. 
SoutH Isnanp: Nelson—Coast near Brighton, to the south of Westport, 
Townson ! 
Although unwilling to create new species in a genus like Veronica, I feel com- 
pelled to assign specific rank to this, which appears to be well characterized by 
the small oblong or elliptic-oblong flat spreading leaves, dense racemes, very 
short and broad corolla-tube, and broadly oblong subacute capsule. In some 
respects it approaches V. macroura var. dubia, but its nearest ally is probably 
VY. salicifolia var. Kirku. 
6. V. ligustrifolia, A. Cunn. in Bot. Mag. sub t. 3461.—A 
small laxly branched glabrous shrub 1-3 ft. high, rarely more ; bark 
greyish-brown; branchlets slender, twiggy, terete. Leaves spread- 
ing, sessile or nearly so, 1-2in. long, rarely more, +-4in. broad, 
oblong or linear-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or sub- 
acute or more rarely acute, flat, quite entire. Racemes near the 
tips of the branches, 2-3 in. long, slender, rather lax-flowered ; 
rhachis, pedicels, and bracts puberulous or almost glabrate. Flowers 
rather small, white, 1+in. diam. Calyx deeply 4-partite; seg- 
ments ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous or the margins minutely 
ciliolate. Corolla-tube funnel-shaped, shorter than the calyx; 
limb longer than the tube, spreading, 4-lobed; lobes acute. 
Capsule +in. long, ovate, acute, compressed, hardly twice as long 
as the calyx.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 375; Benth. in D.C. Prodr. x. 
460; Raoul, Choix, 43; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 192, and Handb. 
N.Z. Fl. 208 (in part only). 
Norru Isxtanp: Auckland—North Cape district, J. Adams and T. F. C. ; 
Bay of Islands, Cunningham, Colenso, and others; Whangarei, T. F. C. 
