PLATE 58.—HYDROCOTYLE ELONGATA. 
Famiry UMBELLIFER.. | Genus HYDROCOTYLE, Linn. 
Hydrocotyle elongata, 4. Cunn. Precur. n. 495; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 195. 
The cosmopolitan genus Hydrocotyle is well represented in New Zealand, nine 
or possibly ten species being found therein. Of these, by far the finest is the 
subject of this plate, which was first discovered by Richard Cunningham in 
the year 1834 near the well-known Kerikeri Falls, in the Bay of Islands district: 
the favourite botanizing-ground of the Cunninghams, Colenso, Hooker, and others. 
Subsequent collectors have found it to be fairly plentiful in moist shaded 
localities from the North Cape to the south of Otago. It is mainly a lowland 
plant, and I have no notes of its occurrence at a greater altitude than about 
2,000 it. 
H. elongata is not closely allied to any other of the New Zealand species. 
Its distinguishing characters are the large size, softly pilose habit, deeply lobed 
leaves, long peduncles, and very conspicuous slender pedicels to the flowers. 
In some points of habit and appearance H. dissecta approaches it, but is easily 
separated, by the smaller size, more deeply lobed leaves, many-flowered umbels, 
and the sessile flowers. H. americana, H. pterocarpa, and H. nove-zelandia@ 
have shallow lobes to the leaves, which are almost glabrous, and the flowers are 
nearly sessile in the umbels. I am not acquainted with any foreign species 
which can be considered closely allied. 
_ Puarr 58. Hydrocotyle elongata, drawn from specimens collected in the Whangarei district. 
Figs. 1 and 2, flowers (x 8); 3 and 4, front and back view of anthers (x 8); 5, ovary (x 8); 6, ripe 
fruit (x 5); 7, a single mericarp, seen from the commissure (x 5); 8, section of fruit (x 5). 
