l-i I. EANUNCULACEAE, [Ranunculus. 



22. R. tenuicaulis, Cheeseman in Trans. N.Z.I, xvii. (1884) 235. A 

 slender, erect species, 3in.-18in. high. Rootstock short. Leaves all radical on 

 slender petioles 2in.— 6in. long ; blade broadly reniform or subreniform, divided 

 to the base into 3, rarely 5, broadly cuneate divisions, each of which is deeply 

 2-3-lobed; the lobes narrow, toothed, glabrate or with a few scattered hairs. 

 Scapes very slender, with two or three simple or deeply-divided bracts below 

 the solitary flower, grooved, glabrate or almost strigose. Flowers small. Sepals 

 not seen. Petals 5, linear, acute. Achenes 5—20, spreading, flask-shaped, gla- 

 brous, stipitate, gradually narrowed into a long spirally-curved style. 



SOUTH Island: Arthur'.^ Pass: T. K. (1876), Cheeseman! Craigieburn Mountains, L- 

 Cockayne! Otago : Swampy Hill, Dunedin ; Mount Kyeburn, &c., Petrie! 2,000ft. to 4,000ft- 

 Nov., Deo. 



Easily distinguished by the remarkable achenes and spirally-curved styles. I have only seen 

 a single flower, and that in a very imperfect condition. 



23. R. hirtus, Banks and Sol. ex Forst. Prod. n. 525. Usually erect, 

 6in.— 18in. high, slender, sparingly branched, hirsute, hairs spreading or rarely 

 appressed. Radical leaves on long petioles, pinnately 3— 5-foliolate ; leaflets 

 petiolulate, broadly ovate, entire or deeply lobed or toothed, rounded or rarely 

 cuneate at the base. Cauline leaves smaller. Penduncles slender, glabrous or 

 hairy. Flowers about iin. in diameter. Sepals 5, shorter than the petals, re- 

 flexed, fugacious. Petals 5, narrow, with a gland near the base. Receptacle 

 pilose. Achenes glabrous, more or less compressed ; style short, recurved. — 

 R. hirtus, DC, Syst. Veg. i. 289; A. Cunn., Precurs. n. 63i; Raoul, Enum. 

 47; Hook, f., Fl. N.Z. i. 9. R. plebeius, Hook, f., Handbk. 7 (not of R. Br.). 

 R. acris, A. Rich., Fl. N.Z. 289 (not of L.). 



NOETH CAPE to STEWART Island; THREE KINGS Island; CHATHAM Islands. 

 Ascends to 4,000ft. Nov. to Jan. 



Var. robustus. Erect, stout, much branched. Cauline leaves usually 3-foliolate ; leaflets 

 narrowed below. Heads of achenes larger than in the type. In subalpine places. 



Var. stoloniferus. Stems slender, procumbent and rooting at the nodes. Leaves small, 3-fid 

 or 3-partite. Flowers small. Achenes small. In subalpine situations. 



Var. membranifollus. Stems capillary, 3in.-5in. long, suberect. Radical leaves on long 

 slender petioles, subreniform, 3-lobed. Flowers and achenes very small. SOUTH Island: West- 

 land : Teremakau, Petrie ! 



Sub sp. plebeius. Suberect or erect, sparingly villous or silky, slender. Radical leaves on 

 long petioles, 3-foliolate; leaflets shortly stalked, ovate-cuneate, 3-lobed or toothed. Peduncles 

 slender. Sepals appressed or spreading, rarely reflexed. Petals narrow-obovate, close. Achenes 

 glabrous, with a slender hooked beak. — R. plebeius, R. Br., in DC. Syst. Veg. 288. SOUTH Island : 

 Hilly and subalpine localities, ascending to 4,000ft. Nov. to Jan. This differs from the Australian 

 plant in the leaves never being digitately divided. 



24. R. foliosus, n. s. Tufted, 3in.-6in. high, strigose, hirsute or pilose; 



stems simple or sparingly branched, stout. Radical and cauline leaves on long 



petioles, blades fin.-iin. long, obovate-cuneate, 2— l-lobed or toothed, strigose 



on both surfaces. Scapes 1— 2-flowered. Achenes usually hidden bv the leaves 



small, slightly turgid ; style short, subulate, recurved. Flowers not seen. 



— R. subscaposus, Hook, f., Handbk. 7 (not of PI. Antarc). 



SOUTH Island: Fowler's Pass, Amuri, T. K. Hopkins River, Canterbury, Hamt 3 000ft 

 to5,000£t. Dec, Jan. 



