The Vegetable Sheep of New Zealand. 129 



" vegetable sheep." The shepherds themselves are often 

 deceived by them when calling in their sheep from the moun- 

 tains. Our plate will give an idea of the general appearance 

 of the plant, to the right of which is represented another 

 singular plant, Haastia pulvinaris, of which we shall also give a 

 brief description. Raoulia is very nearly allied to Gnaphalium 

 and Helichrysum, to which latter genus the everlasting flower, 

 or immortelle of the French, belongs. The principal difference 

 exists in the narrow receptacle of the flower- heads of Raoulia 

 compared with that of the other two genera. The singular 

 habit and general appearance of the plant are also prominent 

 distinguishing characters. Dr. Hooker says it is " a genus 

 founded on habit more than on any good characters that can 

 separate it from Gnaphalium, section Helichrysum. Its her- 

 baceous habit distinguishes it from Ozothamnus. It contains 

 two natural and most distinct sections, of which one, contain- 

 ing R. subulata, eximia, grandiflora, mammilaris, and bryoides 

 has a convex, often hispid, receptacle ; achenes with very long, 

 silky hairs, a thickened areole at their base, and stout, rigid, 

 opaque, pappus hairs, thickened at the tip. These probably 

 constitute a good genus, to which the name Raoulia may be 

 retained; the others may, perhaps, fall into Gnaphalium or 

 Helichrysum ; but until all the Gnaphalioid Composites are 

 worked up, it is impossible to settle the limits of the genera." 



Though there is a difference in the habits of the two 

 genera, Gnaphalium and Raoulia, the woolly appearance 

 occurs in both, for the leaves, stems, and flowers of many 

 species of the former genus are completely covered with a 

 greyish, soft, velvety down. Twelve species of Raoulia have 

 been discovered in New Zealand, where the plants are alone 

 found. These species have ail been named and described by 

 Dr. Hooker, as well as the genus itself, which is in honour of 

 M. Raoul, a surgeon in the French navy, who has paid some 

 attention to New Zealand plants. It may be interesting to our 

 readers if we give a description of each of the species, abridged 

 from the Handboolc of the New Zealand Flora. 



1. Raoulia Australis, Hf. A small, moss-like, densely- 

 tufted plant, stems one to two inches high, branches slender, 

 leaves minute, laxly or densely imbricate, half an inch long, 

 covered with silky, appressed wool. Heads one-eighth of an 

 inch long, outermost scales spathulate, inner linear, shining 

 yellow or pale brown, not dark at tips, nor white and radiating ; 

 florets about twelve, outer few, pappus hairs excessively 

 slender, subpilose, not thickened at the tips. Achene glabrous. 

 This species is found on lofty, rocky hills in the Northern 

 Island, on the Nelson Mountains, Otago, and other places in 

 the Middle Island. 



VOL. xi. — no. ir. k 



