8 FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. [ Ranunculacee. 
1. Myosurus aristatus, Benth.; sepalis 5 calcare brevi, staminibus 5, spica oblonga acuta 20—30-gyna, 
carpellis laxe imbricatis ovatis stylo persistente recurvo subaristatis. Benth. in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. 
v. 6. p. 459. M. apetalus, Gay, Flor. Chih, v. 1. p. 81. 4.1. f. 1. 
Has. East and south-east coasts of the Northern Island; on the pebbly beach near Cape Palliser, Colenso. 
I can find no difference between this and the Chilian plant found by M. Gay at 11,500 feet on the Andes in 
lat. 30° S., and by Mr. Bridges on the same range about 10° further south; also by M. Geyer in California. 
The New Zealand specimens are very small, hardly an inch high; they have no petals, and the spur of the 
sepals is short. 27. minimus, the European (and only other) species of the genus, was also found in temperate North 
America and in Chili (Port Desire), by Mr. Darwin. 
Gen. III. RANUNCULUS, Linn. 
Sepala 4. Petala 5-10, basi foveola nectarifera instructa. Stamina et Ovaria 00. Carpella l- 
sperma, in capitulum subglobosum disposita, stylo subulato persistente recto v. recurvo terminata. 
A very extensive genus, and one of the few that constitutes a considerable portion of almost every temperate 
flora, whether insular or continental; being rare or unknown, however, in the tropics and especially in tropical oceanic 
islands, except when such have high mountains. The New Zealand species belong to three sections, all with yellow 
flowers and generally divided leaves: some of them are amongst the handsomest of the genus: a few are common to 
Tasmania and New Holland, others bear a very great similarity to Chilian, Fuegian, and Falkland-Island species, 
but are distinct. The genus may be identified among the other New Zealand Ranunculacee, by its five to eight 
yellow petals and heads of small one-seeded nuts. (Name from rana, a frog, many species growing in water.) 
* Stems branched, erect, two or more flowered, more or less hairy or woolly ;—one species (R. multiscapus) has 
single-flowered scapes. Carpels smooth. 
1. Ranunculus insignis, Hook. fil.; erectus, robustus (4-pedalis), tomento fulvo v. rufo subsericeo 
ubique dense lanatus, foliis valide petiolatis (petiolo 6-unciali) rotundatis cordatis v. reniformibus (4-8 unc. 
diametr.) grosse crenato-lobatis crassis coriaceis venosis, caulinis lobatis, caule pluries diviso 00-floro, pe- 
dunculis validis, floribus magnis (13 unc. latis), sepalis late oblongis dorso lanatis, petalis 5—6 obcordatis 
basi foveolis 2 instructis, carpellis hirsutis densissime confertis stylo vix recurvo gracili terminatis. Tas. IT. 
Has. Northern Island. Mountains of Ruahine, Tongariro, and Hikurangi, Colenso. 
This magnificent plant may be known at once by its great size (2—4 feet high), stout habit, the dense 
woolly clothing of all parts (except the petals) which turns red in drying; the rounded leaves 8-10 inches across, 
of a very thick texture; large flowers as broad as a halfpenny, of a bright yellow; the two pits at the base of the 
petals, and the long styles to the fruit.—PrATE II. Fig. 1, petal; 2, stamen; 3, pistil; 4, head of carpels; 5, 
carpel :—all but fig. A magnified. 
2. Ranunculus nivicola, Hook.; erectus, 2-3-pedalis, pilis longis hirsutus v. glabratus, foliis longe pe- 
tiolatis 3-5 unc. latis reniformi-cordatis rotundatisve profunde 3-7-lobis, lobis lato-cuneatis inciso-crenatis, 
caulinis paucis laciniatis, caule paniculatim ramoso, floribus magnis (1$ unc. diametr.), sepalis 5 dorso hir- 
sutis, petalis 10-15 cuneato-obcordatis basi fovea nectarifera instructis, carpellis glabris stylo recto apice 
uncinato terminatis. Hook. Ic. Plant. t. 511, 572. 
Haz. Northern Island. Mount Egmont, near the perpetual snow, alt. 7000 feet, Diefenbach. 
A very handsome species, but smaller than R. insignis and fewer-flowered. Easily distinguished by its spreading 
hairs when these are present, which are soft and silky, chiefly clothing the underside of leaf and stalks and the 
flower-stalks. "The flowers are almost as large as those of R. insignis, but the petals are very numerous, much nar- 
rower, and have only one nectariferous pit at the base; they are notched at the top. 
