KiEK. — On the Neiv Zealand Lepidia. 381 



This species is allied to L. sisymbrioides, from which it is distinguished 

 by the naked stems, apetalous flowers, straight pedicels, and narrowly- 

 winged pods. 



In old specimens the root is four feet long, and fully one inch in diameter ; 

 much divided near the apex, so that the numerous heads form a compact 

 hemispherical mass of leaves 6"-12" across. The stems of the J plant 

 are more leafy at the base than the female, and produce fewer flowers. It 

 is evidently the supposed Lepidmm incisum stated in the Handbook to have 

 been collected by Haast on " limestone rocks in the subalpine region of the 

 Waimakariri." 



5. Lepidium tenuicaiile, n.s. 



Leaves all radical, and with the stems more or less clothed with short 

 whitish hairs : pinnate or pinnatifid, l"-3" long : segments laciniate and 

 sharply serrate on the upper margin ; teeth linear, acute, piliferous. Stems 

 very numerous, prostrate, 6"-12" long, extremely slender, flexuous, simple or 

 branched, leafless, or with two or three minute entire leaves on the lower 

 part. Flowers excessively numerous, perfect, on short, slender pedicels, 

 stamens 4, pod small, shorter than the peduncle, orbicular, not winged, 

 style minute. 



Hah.— South Island : Cape Whanbrow. 



This species differs from all other New Zealand forms in the prostrate 

 habit and innumerable flowers, and the orbicular pods separate it from all 

 except L. australe ; the style in the fully-formed fruit is reduced to a mere 

 point. 



It was originally discovered by Mr. D. Petrie, and is produced in abun- 

 dance after every disturbance of the silt which covers the cape, but decreases 

 in quantity as the surface becomes consolidated. 



6. Lepidium australe, n.s. 



An erect, much-branched, leafy species, 10"-15" high. Radical leaves 

 3"-6" long, on rather long petioles, linear-oblong, narrowed below, pinnate; 

 leaflets shortly petioled, incised and toothed on the upper margin, or rarely 

 entire. Cauline leaves smaller, pinnatifid or entire serrate. Racemes 

 terminal, spreading, flowers perfect, shortly pedicellate. Pods orbicular 

 or ovate-orbicular, minutely emarginate, style minute. 



Hab. — South Island : Cape Whanbrow — T. K. ; near Cromwell — D. 

 Petrie. 



Allied to L. temdcaule, from which it differs widely in habit, in the 

 racemes being leafy at the base and in the somewhat wider pod, which is 

 usually emarginate. The habit is the same as L. oleraceum, but the plant 

 is much smaller. 



