340 Transactions, — Botany, 



a mere variety of the Chatham Island plant, it will add another to the 

 already numerous Hnks connecting the flora of those islands with the 

 southern islets. 



Myosotis capitata, Hk.f., var. albiflora. 



Stouter than in the type. Leaves linear-spathulate, thick and somewhat 

 fleshy, hispid with white hahs 4-6 inches long. Flowers in dense scorpioid 

 racemes, several of which are united into a many-flowered head, flowers 

 pure white, shortly pedicelled. Calyx five-lobed below the middle. Other 

 characters as in the type. 



Hah. — Stewart Island. — Rev. Mr. Stack. This is a very beautiful variety, 

 with the flowers of a different colour from the mainland plant, and the 

 foliage larger and more fleshy. Unfortunately it is very difficult to culti- 

 vate, showing a remarkable impatience of confinement. 

 Gentiana hookeri, J.B.A. 



A dark green perennial herb, sending up numerous sub-decumbent 

 branches. Roots fibrous. Stem very short. Radical leaves numerous, 

 crowded, petiolate, spathulate or linear-spathulate in outline. Petiole 2-3 

 inches long, pubescent, slender, channelled with a broad clasping base. 

 Blade 1-2 inches long, flaccid, membranous, obtuse, entire or rarely 

 obscurely crenate, minutely pubescent on both surfaces, gradually narrowed 

 into the petiole. Midrib evident, remaining veins obsolete or nearly so, 

 when present parallel to the midrib. Canline leaves numerous, opposite, of 

 two kinds, the lower as in the radical leaves but smaller, the upper sessile, 

 linear, acute, 1 inch long. Flowers numerous, white and yellow, i to 1 inch 

 diameter. Peduncles 2-4 inches long, slender, striated or slightly winged, 

 one-flowered. Calyx cleft almost to the base into five narrow, acuminate 

 teeth. Corolla five-cleft to below the middle, white or yellow, with faint 

 blue veins ; lobes sub-acute. Fruit not seen. 



Hah. — Canterbury and Otago Provincial Districts, common at consider- 

 able elevations. — J.B.A. ; Stewart Island. — Rev. Mr. Stack. 

 Gentiana saxosa var. y, Hk.f. ? 



A beautiful plant, at once distinguished from the other New Zealand 

 species by its flaccid habit and deeply cut calyx. Its nearest relative is 

 G. nov(B-zealandi(B, Armstrong. 



Nat. Order Scrophularine^. 

 Siplionidium, nov. gen. 



Leaves opposite. Flowers hermaphrodite. Calyx eampanulate, deeply 

 four-toothed, much wrinkled when dry ; teeth with narrow acuminate points. 

 Corolla funnel-shaped with an extremely slender curved tube 3 inches long, 

 dilated upwards, swollen or slightly spurred about three-fourths of the way 

 up at the commencement of the broadest part ; throat eampanulate ; limb 



