Plate 150.- VERONICA RIGIDULA. 



Family SCROPHULARIACEiE.l [Genus VERONICA, Linx. 



Veronica rigidula, Cheesejii. Man. N.Z. Fl. 514. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. H. Macmah(jii. so well known from his successful botanical 

 (explorations in the Marlborough Provincial District, for drawing my attention to 

 this curious little plant. His first specimens were obtained from rocks by the side 

 of streams in the Pehjrus and Rai Valleys, but he subsequently collected it on Mount 

 Duppa, and at Maungatapu. All these localities are on the eastern side of the Dun 

 Mountain Range, and in the watershed of the Pelorus River, and are practically 

 within ten miles of one another. I do not know of any other stations for th(^ plant, 

 unless some flowerless specimens collected by myself in the Wairau Gorge Tiiany 

 years ago prove to be referable to it. 



V. riqidula is a small much-branched shrub, often flowering when not nmch more 

 than 6 in. high; and, according to Mr. Macmahor, seldom if ever exceeding 24 in. 

 The branches are stout, black, peculiarly scarred, and are leafy at the tips only. 

 The leaves are close-set, suberect, elliptic-oblong or obovate -oblong, keeled, dark 

 green above, glaucous beneath, about \ in. to | in. long. The racemes are lateral 

 near the tips of the branches, and are trifurcate, very rarely simple ; the pedicels 

 are wanting, or the lower flowers alone are stalked. The calyx-segments are small 

 and obtuse, while the corolla-tube is nearly double the length of the calyx. The 

 capsule is ovoid-oblong, subacute, barely twice the length of the calyx. 



On the whole, I regard V. rigidula as a distinct little species. It has a super- 

 ficial resemblance to V. Colensoi (as that species is limited in my Manual), but can 

 be at once distinguished by the smaller and more close -set petiolate keeled leaves, 

 shorter and stouter racemes, smaller flowers, and particularly by the obtuse calyx- 

 segments and longer corolla-tube with a shorter limb. In V. Colensoi the calyx- 

 segments are acute, and the corolla -tube is shorter than the calyx. V. rupicola differs 

 altogether in habit, in the larger long-petioled linear-obovate flat leaves, in the much 

 longer racemes, large bracts, shorter corolla-tube, and larger capsule. 



Plate 150. Veruiiiai ritjidnla, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. J. H. Macmahon bv the 

 Pelorus River, Marlborough. Fig. 1, portion of inflorescence (x 3) ; 2, calyx and style, with a 

 bract at the base of the calyx (x 6) ; .3, calyx laid open (x 6) ; 4, corolla laid open (x 6); 5, ripe 

 capsule ( X 4). 



