PLATE 45.—DROSERA ARCTURI ann DROSERA PYGM AA. 
Famity DROSERACE:. } [Genus DROSERA, Linn. 
Drosera Arcturi, Hook. in Lond. Journ. Bot. i (1834), 247 ; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 145. 
Drosera pygmeza, D.C. Prodr. i, 317 ; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 145. 
Six species of Drosera are found in New Zealand, and out of that number I 
have selected D. Arcturi and D. pygmea for illustration. The first mentioned was 
originally collected by Mr. Colenso near the base of Tongariro during his adventurous 
journey—the first made by any European traveller—from Taupo to inland Patea, 
and from thence over the Ruahine Range to Hawke’s Bay. (See his “ Visits to the 
Ruahine Range,” p. 39.) Since that time the plant has been observed in several 
localities on both sides of the central volcanic plateau, and on the Ruahine Range. 
It is much more abundant, however, in the South Island; where it is found in 
subalpine bogs from Nelson to Foveaux Strait, ranging from 2,000 ft. to 5,000 ft, 
altitude. It is also common in Stewart Island, where it descends almost to sea-level. 
It is also a native of south-eastern Australia, where it extends along the summits 
of the Australian Alps for a considerable distance ; and of Tasmania, where it was 
originally discovered. 
D. Arcturi, together with the New Zealand D. stenopetala, and the Fuegian 
D. uniflora, form a section of the genus called Psychophila, in which the stem is not 
bulbous, the leaves are dilated and sheathing at the base, the scape is 1-flowered, 
and the styles rarely multi-partite. 
D. pygmea is one of the smallest species of the genus, and at the same time 
one of the most curious and beautiful. It has a wide distribution in Australia, where 
it was first discovered, ranging from Queensland through New South Wales to 
Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania. In New Zealand it was originally collected 
by Mr. Colenso in the North Cape Peninsula. In the ‘“ Flora Nove .Zelandix ” 
the locality was given as ‘‘ marshes near Cape Maria van Diemen,” but Mr. Colenso 
personally informed me that he probably obtained it near Ahipara. For many 
years the plant was not refound; but in 1877 Mr. Kirk observed it on the Bluff 
Hill, Southland, a station separated from the previous one by almost the whole 
length of the Dominion. In 1896 I collected it in abundance at Te Paua, in 
Parengarenga Harbour, and a few years later it was discovered at Ahipara by 
Mr. R. H. Matthews and Mr. H. Carse—in all probability, not far from the route 
followed by Mr. Colenso in 1839. 
D. pygmea is very appropriately named, many specimens not exceeding + in. 
in diameter. The leaves vary from ,',in. to jin. across, and the scape, with its 
solitary flower, is seldom more than ?in. in height. It is consequently very easily 
overlooked, which is probably the reason why it is not known from more localities, 
When once observed, however, the silvery cone of scarious stipules in the centre 
of the tiny leaf-rosettes enable the plant to be picked out of the adjacent vegeta- 
tion with ease. (Since the above was written D. pygmca has been collected by 
Mr. Phillips Turner at Waimarino, near the western base of Ruapehu, at an 
elevation of 2,000 ft.) 
Puate 454. Drosera Arcturi, drawn from specimens gathered on Mount Sebastopol, Mount Cook 
district, at an elevation of 4,500 ft. Fig. 1, part of leaf, showing the irritable glandular hairs (x 4) ; 
2 and 3, flowers (x 3); 4, flower with calyx and corolla removed (x 6); 5, transverse section of ovary, 
showing the ovules arranged on parietal placentas (x 6) ; 6, ripe fruit (x 4). 
Puate 458. Drosera pygmea, from specimens collected at Parengarenga Harbour, North Cape 
district. Fig. 7, stipule, concealing the very young leaf (x 8); 8, stipule, with fully mature leaf ; 
9, fully developed leaf (x 8); 10, leaf laid open (x 10); 11, flower (x 6); 12, petal (x 8); 13, ovary 
(x 8). 
