PLATE 98.—CELMISIA HECTORI. 
Famity COMPOSIT. | [Genus CELMISIA, Cass. 
Celmisia Hectori, Hook. /. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 135; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 315. 
This handsome little species was first collected by Sir James Hector and 
Mr. John Buchanan in 1862, during a geological and botanical exploration of the 
central and western portions of the Provincial District of Otago, the specimens 
being obtained at an altitude of between 5,000 ft. and 6,000 ft. on Mount Alta, 
situated on the dividing-range to the west of Lake Wanaka. In the following 
year it was also gathered by Sir Julius von Haast on Mount Brewster, to the 
north of Lake Wanaka. In 1864 Sir J. D. Hooker described the plant in 
the “Handbook” under the name of C. Hectori; but through an accidental 
omission no mention was made of Mount Alta, and the Mount Brewster 
locality was credited to “ Hector and Buchanan.” The error was corrected 
in the second part of the ‘* Handbook,” issued in 1867. Subsequent investigation 
has shown that the plant has a wide distribution on the mountains of western 
Otago, but always at considerable altitudes. Mr. Petrie has gathered it on the 
Humboldt Mountains, the Hector Mountains, Mount Tyndall, &c.; Mr. H. J. 
Matthews has given me specimens collected on Mount Earnslaw; and both he 
and Mr. Gibbs have gathered it on McKinnon’s Pass, to the west of Lake Te Anau. 
The most northern locality from whence I have seen specimens is the Mount 
Cook district, where it was first collected by Mr. J. Dickson; but it probably 
extends through the alpine country at the sources of the Rangitata and 
Rakaia. It has been recorded by both Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Kirk from the 
Tararua Range, in the North Island; but it has not been noticed by any 
recent collector, and I fear that some mistake was made in the identification. 
In the Mount Cook district, where I have repeatedly gathered it, 
C. Hectori usually occupies sheltered hollows at an elevation of between 
5,000 ft. and 7,000 ft., often forming carpets many feet in diameter. When 
these are starred over by the numerous flower-heads the general effect is 
decidedly attractive. It is often associated with the handsome Ourisia 
sessilifolia (see Plate 158). Where the hollows are a little moister the charming 
Ranunculus sericophyllus (Plate 6) appears, sometimes accompanied by Caltha 
nove-zelandie, the large bright-yellow flowers of the former being exceedingly 
conspicuous. All these plants can be seen not far from permanent snowfields, and 
every summer are occasionally covered for days together by falls of snow, 
which at these high elevations may occur at any time of the year. 
C. Hectori is easily distinguished by the small size, the much branched 
prostrate stems, the densely imbricated linear-obovate leaves, silvery on both 
surfaces, and the large flower-heads. I cannot suggest a nearer ally than 
C. linearis, which, however, has a very different aspect. 
PiaTE 98. Celmisia Hectori, drawn from specimens collected on Mount Ollivier, in the Mount 
Cook district, at an altitude of nearly 6,000 ft. Fig. 1, bract from the involucre (x 3); 2, ray-floret 
(x 3); 3, pappus-hair (enlarged) ; 4, disc-floret (x 3); 5, the same (x 4); 6, anthers (x 8); 7, style- 
arms (x 8). 
