41 '2 PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND 



Islands, the lea%'es sho«- great variation in se\-era.l respects. The proportions, 

 and actual size, not only vary largely, hut some ))ear abundant tomentuni on the 

 upper surfaces, there being none in others. Three [)lants growing side by side 

 in the vicinity of Lake Rangatapu might readily ha\'e l)een taken for distinct 

 species, \"et the conditions inrdcr ^^ilich they \\ere growing appeared to be the 

 same. 



In large genera, such as Veronica and Goprvsma, the 

 vanabihty is so great that it is most ditticult to fix the 

 limits of the species. The same difficulty presents itself in 

 Olearia ; but will to some extent be removed when our 

 knowledge of the genus is fuller than at present. Several 

 species are known only from a few specimens, and others are 

 extremely local in their distribution. This is the more 

 renrarkable, as the pappus with which the seeds are provided 

 is eminently calculated to scatter the species widely. Some 

 of the finest plants in the genus are endemic in the ofi'-islands. 

 Thus 0. scmklentata is found only on the Chatham Islands. 

 It bears handsome flowers of a bright purple, whose colour is 

 a striking contrast to the white of other species. According 

 to Mr. Cox, a white-rayed form is, however, sometimes found. 

 But this is not the only Olearia endemic to these islands. 

 0. Chathamica, which somewhat resembles the magnificent 

 0. angustifolia and 0. Traversii, with opposite leaves, are also 

 found nowhere else. The latter was originally mistaken by 

 Diefienbach for the Mangrove (Avicennia officinalis) , which it 

 slightly resembles. Many specimens of it are to be seen in 

 the Christchurch Gardens, and there are also several well- 

 grown plants beside the Hereford Street Bridge in the same 

 town. 0. operiiia, is only known from the Sounds on the 

 West Coast of Otago. 0. angustifolia — a beautiful plant, 

 whose flowers have white rays and a violet disk is found 

 chiefly in exposed places near Paterson's Inlet (Stewart 

 Island), though it has been reported from south-west Otago. 

 0. TraiUii, another noble species, is known only from one or 

 two localities on the mountains at the head of Paterson's 

 Inlet ; 0. Lyallii is endemic in the Snares and Auckland 



