THE COTTON-PLANTS AND MOUNTAIN-MUSKS (CELMISIA). 103 
very like R. Monroi, is confined to the North-eastern Botanical 
District. The silky alpine buttercup (R. sericophyllus) grows with 
great luxuriance amongst coarse stony debris from the Eastern to 
the Fiord Botanical District. There are also a number of smaller 
high-mountain buttercups, all of which are pretty enough—e.g., 
Ranunculus gracilipes, R. geranwfolius, R. Enysu, R. Monro var. 
dentatus, R. Sinclairii, and R. novae-zealandiae. 
Generic names are frequently hideous, but in Celmisia there is 
one dainty enough to take a foremost place among those feminine 
floral appellations now so common; and well does a race of plants 
so beautiful demand a fitting title. With one exception, all are 
true New-Zealanders, and probably a remnant of the long-vanished 
plants of sunken southern lands. Two principal classes occur— 
those with fine upright rosettes of lance-shaped or dagger-shaped 
leaves (the cotton-plants), and those which trail over a considerable 
area, forming round mats (the mountain-musks), these getting their 
name from the aromatic scent of their leaves, which frequently 
bathes the high slopes with fragrance. Some, again, have quite 
small rosettes, and form dense silvery cushions, such as the white 
cushion - celmisia (Celmisia sessiliflora), the silver cushion - celmisia 
(C. argentea), and the green cushion -celmisia (C. bellidioides), the 
latter different to most celmisias in its green, hairless leaves. The 
most handsome of the celmisias is perhaps the silvery cotton-plant 
(C. coriacea), a plant with large, stiff, broad, silvery leaves, and 
flower-heads several inches in diameter. C. Hookeri, a species of 
the North Otago Botanical District, with flowers even larger, has the 
merit of growing well in lowland gardens. The species of Celmisia 
number 51 or more; there are also some fine natural hybrids, 
especially where C. petiolata, C. Traversii (distinguished by its leaves, 
bright-green above, and edged with rust-coloured hairs), C. coriacea, 
C. Brown, C. Lyall, and C. spectabilis are present. 
The snow-groundsel (Senecio scorzoneroides), notwithstanding its 
being burdened with its second name, is one of the most showy of 
New Zealand plants. The author will never forget the wet herb- 
field near the source of the River Poulter, gleaming like a snowfield 
with the multitudes of its pure blossoms. It also occurs as 
forms with bright-yellow, paler yellow, and cream-coloured flowers. 
Occasionally it grows on dry rocks. Its relative S. Lyall has 
much smaller flower-heads and narrower leaves. 
