Buchanan. — On the Alpine Plora of New Zealand. 345 



This remarkable little plant agrees in several details with Hooker's 

 description of Notothlaspi rosulatum ("Handbook of New Zealand Flora") ; 

 that species, however, being described as a pyramidal fleshy herb, with a 

 scape thicker than the little finger, and a span high, presents sufficient 

 differences to claim for the present plant a distinguishing name. The 

 illustrations given on pi. XXV. are drawn from the largest specimens in a 

 collection of over fifty. 



Hab. — Fine loose shingle slopes, where its fine thread-like roots pene- 

 trate to a considerable depth, presenting an unique botanical form in the 

 Flora of New Zealand, the leaves being arranged like a miniature umbrella, 

 surmounted by a small dense ball of ^^hite flowers. 

 Hectorella ccBspitosa, Hook. fil. 

 Handb. N.Z. Flora, vol. i., p. 27. 



Leaves densely imbricated round the stem, spreading, variable in form 

 and size, linear-acuminate, or oblong-obtuse, membraneous and much dilated 

 at the bottom, entire. Flowers of two kinds, smallest with stamens only ; 

 sessile among the uppermost leaves, white or sometimes pale salmon 

 colour; pedicel with 2 bracts at the base; sepals 2, ovate acute, continuous 

 with the pedicel ; petals 5, united at the base, erect and thickened beneath 

 the tip ; capsule not seen. 



Hab. — This beautiful alpine is found abundantly on Mount Alta, where 

 it may be seen in large patches on steep, rocky places, at an altitude of 

 6,000 feet. 



A marked feature in this plant, and which adds much to its floral 

 beauty, is the arrangement of the flowers in circles at the ends of the 

 branches, many of the patch plants having only one terminal flower on 

 each branch. 



Plate XXVI., fig. 1, portion of plant nat. size ; 1 a and 1 i, fertile and 

 staminiferous flowers ; 1 c, 1 d, 1 e, different forms and sizes of leaves. 

 Pozoa exigua, Hook. fil. 

 Handb. N.Z. Flora, vol. i., p. 87. 



Plant, ^-1 inch high. Leaves long, petioled, numerous, rising from a 

 small rhizome, ovate, generally 3-lobed, petioles forming a close bundle. 

 Scape longer than the petioles, involucral leaves linear-oblong, acute, 

 connate at the base. Fruit linear, scarcely 3^ inch long, much longer than 

 its pedicel, 5-ribbed, ribs terminating in unequal-sized hooked teeth. See 

 description of flower in "Handb. N.Z. FL," vol. i., p. 87. 



Hab. — South Island : Black Peak, 6,000 feet alt. — Hector and Buchanan, 

 1862; A. McKay, 1881. 



Plate XXVI., fig. 2, plant enlarged ; 2 a and 2 b, fruit, front and side 

 views. 



36 



