Kirk. — Contributions to the Botany of Otago. 407 



specimens communicated by Mr. D. Petrie and Mr. G. M. Thomson, to 

 whom I have great pleasure in expressing my thanks. 



The chief interest of the following list consists in the corrected views it 

 affords of the relative proportion of Glumiferce, especially of the cyperaceous 

 section, to other phtenogams in the south; the Graminece are increased one- 

 fourth and the Ci/peracece nearly doubled as compared with Mr. Buchanan's 

 Catalogue, in which the latter form less than one-twentieth of the entire 

 number of flowering plants, a striking contrast to the ordinary proportion 

 in the North Island which is one-tenth. The present list shows that the 

 actual proportion in Otago is one-thirteenth, and that the small disparity 

 which really exists is chiefly due to the deficiency in Cladutm and Schoenus, 

 which, although abundant in the north, are represented in Otago by a single 

 species of the former and two of the latter. On the other hand all the New 

 Zealand Carices are found in Otago with the exception of C. chlorantha, Br., 

 C. colensoi, Hook, f., and C. steUulata, Good. ; the last two will certainly be 

 found within the district, but the first is restricted to the North Island 

 where it is very local. 



I hope to consider the chief points of interest in the distribution of 

 Otago plants in a future paper. 



It is a subject for regret that we know so little of the flora of Stewart 

 Island and the Snares, which exhibit features of great importance. Little 

 as we know of both, the flora of Stewart Island shows a connection between 

 the peculiar plants of the south-west coast of Otago on one side, and those 

 of the Chatham Islands on the other — while that of the Snares shows 

 a connection with the Auckland Islands and the Chathams, apparently 

 more close than that with the nearest portion of the main land. I venture 

 to suggest to the members of the Otago Institute the propriety of making 

 arrangements for the systematic investigation of the flora and fauna of 

 these little known portions of then* district. 



Ranunculace^. ^ 



Clematis hexasepala, DC. Bluff' Harbour. 



afoliata, Buch. Waitaki Valley — J. Buchanan. 

 Ranunculus hirtus — Banks and Sol. 



/3. supinus. Valley of the Dart. 

 ternatifolius, T. Khk. R. trilobatus, " Trans. N.Z.I.," p. 547, 



not of Kit. Catlin River. 

 nanus, Hook. Otago — J. Buchanan! D. Fetrie ! Above Lake 

 Harris— r.Z. 



