PLATE 120.—PRATIA MACRODON anp LOBELIA ROUGHII. 
Famity CAMPANULACE:. | [GENERA PRATIA, Gaup. 
LOBELIA, LINN. 
Pratia macrodon, Hook. /. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 172; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 398. 
Lobelia Roughii, Hook. /. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 171; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 400. 
Pratia macrodon was discovered at about the same time by Mr. W. T. L. Travers 
on the mountains flanking the Upper Wairau, Clarence, and Waiau Valleys; and 
on Mount Torlesse by Sir Julius von Haast. Subsequent observers have since found 
it in many localities on both the eastern and western sides of the central watershed 
of the South Island, from the Dun Mountain Range to the south-west of Otago. 
Its altitudinal range is from 3,000 ft. to 5,500 ft. 
The usual station for Pratea macrodon is on open mountain-slopes formed of 
fragments of rock mixed with a sandy or clayey soil, and thus presenting a consoli- 
dated surface sparsely clothed with subalpine plants. An old shingle-slope, partially 
or altogether fixed, frequently has colonies of P. macrodon on its margins, where 
there has been no movement of the stones for some years at least. The creeping 
and rooting stems are copiously branched, and form matted patches 2in. to 4 in. 
in diameter or more. The leaves are thick and coriaceous, and are coarsely dentate. 
The axillary and solitary flowers are large for the size of the plant, } in. to ? in. long, 
pale yellow, and very sweet-scented ; while the berry is about +in. in diameter. 
As a species it is very distinct from any other known to me. 
Lobelia Roughw is one of the plants first collected by Captain D. Rough, who 
gathered it on Dun Mountain, Nelson, about the year 1858. Shortly afterwards 
it was observed by Mr. W. T. L. Travers on shingle-slopes above the Wairau Gorge, 
and in similar situations on the mountains flanking the Waiau Valley. Further 
research has shown that it has a wide range on the shingle-slopes of the eastern side 
of the watershed of the South Island, but it seldom occurs in large quantity. I have 
gathered it on the mountains flanking the Wairau Valley, on Mount Torlesse, and 
on the mountains at the head of the Broken River, also on Mount Dobson. 
Mr. Armstrong collected it in the Rangitata Valley, while Mr. Petrie has recorded 
it from several localities in Central Otago. Its altitudinal range may be given at 
from 3,000 ft. to 6,000 ft. 
L. Roughii is a most distinct species, and I am not aware that it is closely allied 
to any other. When bruised or broken it everywhere exudes a milky and acrid fluid. 
Whether this juice is poisonous, as is the case in some other species of the genus, I 
am unable to say; in fact, I do not think it has ever been chemically examined. 
The flower is remarkable on account of the two dorsal petals being free from one 
another to the base, so that the corolla could be described as three-lipped. Like 
many other shingle-plants, the creeping stem and the lower part of the numerous 
branches are covered by the angular debris composing the shingle-slope, the leafy 
tips of the branchlets alone appearing on the surface. 
Prats 120a. Pratia macrodon, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. F. G. Gibbs on Mount 
Peel, Nelson, at an altitude of 4,500 ft. Fig. 1, leaf (x2); 2, flower (x2); 3, the same with the 
petals removed (x3); 4, portion of calyx spread open (x3); 5, two anterior anthers (x 6) ; 
6, stigma (x 6); 7, transverse section of ovary (x 3). 
Pirate 1208. Lobelia Roughii, drawn from specimens collected on Mount Peel, Nelson, by 
Mr. F. G. Gibbs. Figs. 8 and 9, flower, side and back view (x3); 10, anthers (x5); 11, style 
and stigma (x5); 12, section of ovary (x 5). 
