The Vegetable Sheep of New Zealand. 131 



leaves most densely compacted, wholly hidden amongst woolly 

 hairs, imbricated all round in many series, one- eighth of an 

 inch long, membranous, broadly linear or obovate oblong, 

 rounded at the tip, bearing at the back, above the middle, a 

 dense thick pencil of white velvety hairs, these bundles of 

 hairs, meeting beyond the leaves, envelope the whole. Heads 

 minute, sunk amongst the upper leaves, involucral scales about 

 ten, linear, with subulate or obtuse tips, and a tuft of hairs on 

 the back above the middle : receptacle convex, naked ; florets 

 about ten. Pappus of few rigid hairs, thickened upwards. 

 Achene with a thickened areole at the base, silky, with very long 

 hairs ; very nearly allied to R. mammilavls. Found in the 

 Middle Island, at Ribband Wood Range, Mount Arrowsmith, 

 and Dobson, at an elevation of 5500 to C000 feet. 



7. R. Hectori, Hf. Most densely tufted, one to two inches 

 high ; branchlets erect, densely leafy, silvery at the tips. 

 Leaves closely imbricate one-twelfth of an inch long, broadly 

 ovate, obtuse, coriaceous, upper half covered with appressed 

 silvery, shining tomentum ; back grooved longitudinally when 

 dry. Heads small, sunk amongst the uppermost leaves; in- 

 volucral scales scarious, linear- oblong, obtuse, yellowish, gla- 

 . brous, receptacle convex, pilose ; florets about twenty. Pappus 

 of few, rigid, scabrous hairs, thickened upwards. A very dis- 

 tinct species, resembling in habit some states of R. Australis. 

 Found in the lake district of Otago in dry, subalpine places. 



8. R. glabra, Hf. Stems elongate, slender, prostrate, branch- 

 ing, two to ten inches long; branches ascending. Leaves 

 laxly imbricate, spreading, hardly ever recurved, one- sixth of 

 an inch long, linear, or linear-oblong, acute or obtuse, gla- 

 brous or nearly so, one nerved, green. Heads rather large, one- 

 fourth to one-third of an inch in diameter ; outer involucral 

 scales leaf-like, inner linear, with short, white, radiating tips ; 

 florets numerous, outer in two series. Pappus of numerous 

 soft, white, slender hairs, as in R. Australia. Achene covered 

 with down. Found in the Nelson Mountains, Mount Cook, and 

 Otago Mountains. 



9. R. subsericca, Hf. Very similar in most respects to R. 

 glabra, and perhaps an alpine variety of that, but a much more 

 densely-tufted plant, with very short stems and branches; 

 closely imbricated, linear-oblong leaves; glabrous or covered 

 loosely with silvery tomentum ; green or silvery white. Heads 

 similar, but larger. Found in many parts of Middle Island, 

 up to an elevation of from 3000 to 4000 feet. 



10. R. grand flora, Hf. A very short, erect, densely- 

 tufted species, with very long, wiry, thread-like roots; stems 

 one inch high, densely leafy, with the leaves on as thick as the 

 little finger. Leaves imbricating all round the stem one-sixth 



