New Alpine Plants. , 



97 



For farther details on the position which the plants from 

 our snowy mountains occupy in phyto-geography, showing how 

 far they are endemic, how far connecting those of distant 

 countries, and how far identical with those of other parts_ ot 

 the globe, and for information on their uses and pecuharities, 

 I beg to refer to my published official reports. It remains 

 here" only to acknowledge, that without the use of the 

 admirable Flora Antarctica of Dr. Jos. Hooker, and the yet 

 unfinished Flora of New Zealand, from the pen of the same 

 celebrated author, I should have been unable to analyze these 

 plants regarding their distinctive characters with that 

 precision which was earnestly desired, but perhaps not 

 attained. 



Kanunculacae. 



1. Ranunculus anemoneus. 

 (Sect. Heeatonia.) 



Glabrous or hirsute ; root fasciculate ; stem thick, simple, 

 erect, one-three flowered, below leafless, at the base vaginate ; 

 leaves veined, the radicil ones on long and strong petioles, 

 orbicular, to the base divided into three or five lobes ; these 

 deeply three or five-cleft, covering each other, their lobules 

 variously cut, acute ; bracteal-leaves large, cordate-orbicular, 

 dissected, sessile, clasping ; peduncle naked or with a smaller 

 bracteolar-leaf ; sepals five-seven, ovate, appressed, slightly 

 villose; petals large, white, generally numerous, twice or 

 three times as long as the calyx, narrow oblong-cuneate, 

 entire; nectar-pit solitary, margined; carpels turgid, even, 

 g-labrous, margined ; their style at the extremity hooked. 

 On springs at the summit of the Munyang Mountains.^ 

 This charming and interesting species forms, next Grevillea 

 Victoria, the greatest ornament to the Snowy Mountains of 

 Continental Australia. It differs from similar showy ones in 

 New Zealand already, in its white petals, and approaches 

 rather to the European alpine type of the genus represented 

 by E. aconitifolius, glacialis, &c. 



2. Ranunculus Millani. 

 (Sect. Heeatonia.) 



Dwarf, steniless; root fasciculate-fibrous; scape simple, 

 one-flowered, soUtary, spreading-downy, of the length of or 



