Ciieeseman. — On new Species of Plants. 235 



Art. XXVI. — New Species of Plants. By T. F. Ciieeseman, F.L.S., 

 Curator of the Auckland Museum. 

 [Read before the Auckland Institute, 1th September, 1884.] 

 1. Ranunculus tenuicaulis, n. sp. 

 Very slender, sparingly pilose or nearly glabrous, 6-18 inches high. 

 Rootstock long, rather stout, sending down numerous fleshy fibres. Leaves 

 few (1-4), all radical, very variable in size and cutting, about reniform in 

 outline, cut to the base into 3 (rarely 5) broadly cuneate divisions, which 

 are deeply and irregularly 2-3-lobed ; lobes narrow, often again toothed ; 

 texture thin, herbaceous ; petioles very sleuder, variable in length, 1-4 

 inches. Scape slender, grooved, one-flowered, usually with three variously 

 cut or lobed bracts about the middle. Petals not seen. Achenes 8-20, 

 loosely packed and spreading on all sides, J inch long, shortly stipitate, 

 somewhat fusiform, gradually narrowed upwards into a long spirally re- 

 curved style. 



Hab. Canterbury mountains above Arthur's Pass, altitude 4,000- 

 5,000 feet. T.F.C. 



A very distinct and well-marked plant. In habit aud appearance it is 

 perhaps nearest to R. geraniifolius, but it differs from that plant, and from 

 all the other New Zealand species, in the stipitate and fusiform achenes, 

 with spirally recurved styles. 



2. Myosotis (Exarrhena) concinna, n. sp. 



An erect or diffuse perennial, 6-18 inches high, branched from the base, 

 covered in all its parts with fine closely-appressed silky hairs. Flowering 

 stems or branches numerous, rather stout, leafy. Radical leaves usually 

 many, 2-4 niches long, from linear- or lanceolate-spathulate to narrow 

 oblong-spathulate, acute or obtuse, gradually narrowed into long petioles, 

 covered on both surfaces with fine closely-appressed silky hairs. Cauline 

 leaves sessile, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute. Racemes large, simple 

 or branched, usually forming a rather dense many-flowered head, rarely 

 elongated. Flowers large, bright pale yellow, sweet-scented, shortly pedi- 

 celled. Calyx J inch long, 5-partite, lobes covered with appressed silky 

 hairs. Corolla broadly funnel-shaped or almost campanulate, ^ inch long ; 

 tube very short, lirnb large, deeply lobed, lobes oblong or ovate, acute or 

 obtuse. Filaments very slender, elongate ; anthers linear-oblong, exserted 

 far beyond the corolla. Nuts ovoid, red-brown, but not seen perfectly 

 ripe. 



Hab. Nelson, abundant on the debris of limestone rocks on Mount 

 Owen, altitude 3,500-4,500 feet ; also on Mount Arthur, altitude 4,000 feet. 

 T.F.G. 



