Plate 141.--GENTIANA SPENCEIJI. 



Family GENTIANACBJ:.! [Genus GENTIANA, Linn. 



Gentiana Spenceri, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. InM. xxvii (1895), 335 ; Cheesein. Man. N./. 

 Fl. 453. 



Gentiana Spenceri was named in recognition o\ the botanical services of the 

 Rev. F. R. Spencer, who for many years has collected plants in both the North 

 and South Islands, and particularly on the central volcanic plateau of the North 

 Island. It was first gathered by him on Mount Rochfort, near Westport, in the 

 year 1880, and was communicated to Mr. T. Kirk, who, however, did not publish it 

 until the appearance of his " Revision of the New Zealand Gentians " in 1895. 

 Since then Mr. Townson, who has so carefully explored the Westport district, has 

 found it to be plentiful in many localities on the Paparoa and Papahua Mountains, 

 from Mount Faraday northwards to Mount Stormy, near the mouth of the Karamea 

 River. From thence it almost certainly stretches still further north in the 

 direction of Collingwood, for it has been recently gathered by Mr. F. G. Gibbs in 

 the Cobb Valley, near Mount Arthur. It thus appears to be mainly a plant of 

 western Nelson, possibly extending southwards into Westland. According to 

 Mr. Townson, its altitudinal range is from 1,500 ft. to 3,500 ft. 



G. Spenceri is a well-marked and perfectly distinct plant, not at all closely 

 allied to the other New Zealand species. It can always be distinguished by the 

 erect slender habit, numerous rosulate obovate-spathulate radical leaves, few cauline 

 leaves, and particularly by the involucrate umbels and small flowers, the corolla 

 of which is not much longer than the calyx. The flowers are sometimes white, 

 but more often, according to Mr. Townson, white streaked with numerous purple 

 veins. The same observer informs me that it is usually found among scrub, 

 in this respect differing from G. Townsoni, G. montana, and G. hellidifolia, which 

 are plentiful in the same district, but which nearly always occur in open or even 

 decidedly exposed situations. 



No portion of the Dominion is richer in Gentians than north-west Nelson, 

 including in the term the district stretching from Collingwood to Mount Arthur, 

 Mount Owen, and thence to the southern termination of the Paparoa Mountains. 

 Within these limits the following species occur : G. filipes, G. gracilijolia, 

 G. corymbifera, G. Townsoni, G. montana, G. vernicosa, G. patula, G. hellidifolia, 

 G. divisa, G. Spenceri, and G. saxosa. Of these eleven species no less than five have 

 not been found elsewhere, as follows : G. filipes, G. qracilifoUa, G. Townsoni, 

 G. vernicosa, and G. Spenceri. The north-west portion of the South Island mav 

 therefore claim to be the centre of distribution of the genus in New Zealand. 



Plate 1-Jl. Gentiana Spenceri, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. W. Towiison on Moimt 

 Rochfort, Nelsou, at an altitude of 3,.500 ft. Fig. 1, calyx and ovary (x 2) ; 2, corolla laid open 

 (X 2) ; 3 and 4, front and back view of anthers (x 5). 



