Lepidium.] III. CBUCIFEBAE. 35 



Var. acutl-dentatum. Seems with slender leafy branches. Leaves lin.-ljin. long, nar- 

 row, ouneate or oblong-spathulate, the upper portion acutely serrate or almost dentate. NORTH and 

 SOUTH Islands ; STEWART Island; the SNARES; AUCKLAND Islands; CHATHAM Islands. 

 In places near the sea. Var. a, restricted to small islands in the north, has become very rare. 

 The plant is everywhere destroyed by cattle and sheep. It has a strong disagreeable odour. 



2. L. obtusatum, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z.I, xxiv. (1891) 433. Glabrous, 

 much branched, leafy. Stems prostrate, 6in.— 12m. long. Lower leaves elliptic 

 or elliptic-oblong, gradually narrowed into a naked or winged petiole, crenate or 

 coarsely serrate. Cauline leaves oblong or obovate, shortly petioled or sessile. 

 Racemes numerous, terminating short leafy branches. Pedicels slender, as- 

 cending. Flowers small. Stamens 4. Pods ovate-cordate, slightly winged 

 above, with a narrow notch ; style never exceeding the notch ; stigma capitate. 

 Seeds obliquely ovate. 



NOETH Island : Sea-olifis, Titirangi, Olieeseman. Maritime rocks at the entrance to Port 

 Nicholson, Miss Kirk I Nov. to March. 



This species differs from the preceding in the prostrate habit and emarginate shortly-winged 

 pods with the included style. The hypogynous glands are very short and obtuse. 



3. L. Banksii, n. s. Glabrous. Stems much branched, terete, flexu- 

 ous, suberect, Ift.-l^ft. long. Leaves distant, narrow, oblong-cuneate or 

 oblong-spathulate, acutely toothed or incised above, sessile or very shortly 

 petioled. Racemes terminal. Stamens 4. Pedicels strict, slender, more than 

 twice as long as the pods. Pods ovate, cordate at the base, truncate at the 

 apex, with a broad notch, slightly keeled and winged ; style slightly exceeding 

 the notch. — L. oleraceum, A. Rich. PI. N.Z. 310, t. 35 (not of Porst.). 



SOUTH Island : Queen Charlotte Sound and Astrolabe Harbour, A. Bichard, I.e. 



Var. ovatum. Pods broadly ovate, almost truncated at the base but not cordate ; style 

 equalling the broad notch. SOUTH Island ; Pelorus Sound, J. Butland ! Kenepuru, J. McMahonI 



This species is distinguished from L. oleraceum by the emarginate winged pod, and from 

 L. obtusatum by its narrow leaves and the cordate or broadly-ovate pod, which is never narrowed 

 below. The typical form has not been observed of late years: it appears to combine the habit of 

 L. flexicaule with the leaves of L. oleraceum, var. acutidentatmn. 



4. L. flexicaule, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z.I, xiv. (1881) 380. Glabrous. 

 Stems numerous, flexuoas, decumbent. Lower leaves 2in.— Sin. long, on long 

 naked petioles, linear- oblong, pinnatifid or rarely pinnate, pinnules in 4 to 6 

 pairs, lobed and toothed, near the apex obtuse ; cauline smaller, gradually nar- 

 rowed into a winged petiole or sessile, entire, narrow linear-spathulate or cune- 

 ate coarsely toothed. Racemes lin.— 2in. long, lateral and terminal, leaf-opposed, 

 each with a solitary flower below its base. Flowers perfect. Sepals ovate. 

 Petals narrow -linear, obtuse. Stamens 2. Pods on slender erect pedicels, 

 ovate-cordate, narrowed below, shortly winged and notched at the apex; style 

 whollv included in the notch. — L. incisum, Hook, f., Fl. N.Z. i. 15 ; Handbk. 

 14 (not of Roth. Neue Beitr. i. 224); Banks and Sol. MSS ! 



NORTH Island: Manukau and Waitemata Harbours, T. K. Rangitoto Island, Cheeseman. 

 Mercury Bay, Banks and Solander. 



This is distinguished from all other New Zealand species by the lateral racemes and diandrous 

 flowers. The racemes are at first terminal, but are quickly reduced to a lateral position by a strong 

 usurping shoot which overtops them. The plant resembles Senebiera didyma in its inflorescence. 



