PuatH 11.—LEPIDIUM SISYMBRIOIDES. 
Famity CRUCIFER.] [Genus LEPIDIUM, Linn. 
Lepidium sisymbrioides, Hook. /. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 14; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 42. 
This species, with its depressed habit, pinnatifid leaves, and small dicecious 
flowers, offers a strong contrast to the subject of the previous plate, which has tall 
branching stems, undivided serrate leaves, and numerous larger flowers. It was 
first collected in 1862 by Sir Julius von Haast on grassy flats near Lake Ohau, 
and a year or two later by Mr. Buchanan in the Waitaki Valley, northern Otago. 
Since then it has been observed in many localities on the eastern side of the Southern 
Alps, from North Canterbury southwards to Central Otago. It is most often seen 
in the interior plains or basins which occur in several localities on the eastern slopes 
of the Southern Alps, such as the Broken River basin, the Mackenzie Plains, the 
Lake district of Otago, &c.; which, from their situation and physical surroundings, 
have a more or less steppe-like or arid climate. 
My own acquaintance with L. sisymbrioides dates back to 1880, when my friend 
Mr. J. D. Enys, then resident in the Broken River basin, showed me several stations 
in which it was abundant, most of them being patches of debris at the foot of lime- 
stone cliffs. In such situations the Lepidiwm formed isolated clumps 6 in. to 12 in. 
across. Old plants were remarkable for their stout cylindrical root, which sometimes 
was quite 4 ft. in length and as thick as the finger, its size seeming altogether out 
of proportion to the short stems. 
The nearest allies of ZL. sisymbrioides are undoubtedly L. Kawaraw and 
L. Matau from Central Otago, which agree with it in the dicecious habit and the 
general characters of the flowers and fruit. But both have a much taller and more 
erect mode of growth, with numerous cauline leaves, and the size, shape, and cutting 
of the radical leaves are different. Dr. Thellung, in his recently issued monograph 
of the genus, treats all three as varieties of one species ; but I feel sure that no 
New Zealand botanist familiar with their appearance in the field will agree with 
this view. 
Piare 11. Lepidium sisymbrioides, male, female, and fruiting specimens, collected at Castle 
Hill, Canterbury Alps, at an elevation of 2,500 ft. Fig. 1, portion of leaf (x 8); 2, male flower (x 8) ; 
3, sepal (x 10); 4, petal (x 8); 5, anther (x 10); 6, portion of female inflorescence, showing sterile 
stamens (enlarged); 7, female flower, with sterile stamens (x8); 8, pistil (x10); 9, pod 
(enlarged) ; 10, pod, with one valve removed. showing the seed suspended from the top of the septum 
(enlarged) ; 11, seed (enlarged); 12, embryo, showing incumbent cotyledons (enlarged) ; 15, section 
of embryo (enlarged). 
