﻿T. 
  KmK. 
  — 
  Descriptions 
  of 
  New 
  Plants. 
  465 
  

  

  , 
  All 
  the 
  Otago 
  specimens 
  of 
  Veronica 
  hectori 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  are 
  more 
  

   robust 
  than 
  those 
  from 
  the 
  Canterbury 
  and 
  Nelson 
  mountauas 
  ; 
  the 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  capsule 
  varies 
  considerably. 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  doubts 
  I 
  entertain 
  of 
  the 
  claims 
  of 
  our 
  plant 
  to 
  

   specific 
  honours, 
  I 
  have 
  great 
  pleasure 
  in 
  describing 
  it 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  by 
  

   which 
  it 
  has 
  become 
  known 
  to 
  horticulturists. 
  As 
  it 
  adapts 
  itself 
  to 
  

   artificial 
  conditions 
  more 
  readily 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  species 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  

   section 
  (except 
  perhaps 
  V. 
  ciqjressoides), 
  and 
  is 
  easily 
  recognized 
  by 
  its 
  

   flabellate 
  branches, 
  it 
  will 
  probably 
  retain 
  its 
  name 
  even 
  if 
  it 
  should 
  ulti- 
  

   mately 
  be 
  considered 
  a 
  form 
  of 
  V. 
  salicornioides 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  would 
  have 
  afforded 
  

   me 
  greater 
  pleasure 
  to 
  have 
  attached 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  its 
  discoverer 
  to 
  some 
  

   form 
  more 
  likely 
  to 
  prove 
  of 
  permanent 
  specific 
  value. 
  

  

  The 
  dimorphism 
  in 
  the 
  foliage 
  of 
  aU 
  the 
  species 
  characterized 
  by 
  

   appressed 
  leaves 
  has 
  not 
  received 
  the 
  attention 
  it 
  merits. 
  The 
  spreading 
  

   leaves 
  are 
  easily 
  produced 
  under 
  cultivation 
  ; 
  if 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  kept 
  in 
  a 
  

   cool, 
  shaded 
  situation, 
  they 
  will 
  be 
  developed 
  from 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  branches 
  

   bearing 
  appressed 
  leaves 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  all 
  newly 
  formed 
  branches. 
  In 
  

   V. 
  cupressoides 
  the 
  free 
  leaves 
  are 
  ovate, 
  lobulate 
  or 
  nearly 
  pinnatifid. 
  There 
  

   can 
  be 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  free 
  leaves 
  are 
  equally 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  

   seedling 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  plant, 
  although 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  find 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  

   wild 
  condition. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  Zealand 
  species 
  of 
  Veronica 
  comprise 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  forms 
  

   capable 
  of 
  being 
  recognized 
  by 
  the 
  eye, 
  especially 
  when 
  their 
  minute 
  

   differences 
  are 
  exaggerated 
  under 
  the 
  luxuriant 
  growth 
  induced 
  by 
  cultiva- 
  

   tion, 
  but 
  they 
  pass 
  into 
  each 
  other 
  by 
  insensible 
  gradations, 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  

   capable 
  of 
  rigid 
  definition. 
  In 
  this 
  respect 
  they 
  resemble 
  Rosa 
  canina, 
  

   Ruhus 
  fruticosus, 
  and 
  Salix 
  repens 
  of 
  Northern 
  Europe 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  trivial 
  

   varieties 
  and 
  sub-varieties 
  of 
  our 
  Veronicas 
  are 
  no 
  more 
  worthy 
  of 
  being 
  

   elevated 
  to 
  specific 
  rank 
  than 
  the 
  varieties 
  and 
  sub-varieties 
  of 
  these 
  

   variable 
  European 
  plants. 
  

  

  Plantagine^. 
  

   Plantago 
  hamiltoni. 
  

   Stem 
  very 
  short. 
  Leaves 
  rosulate, 
  ^"-l^"long, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  clothed 
  with 
  

   scattered 
  jointed 
  hairs, 
  hnear 
  lanceolate, 
  toothed 
  or 
  nearly 
  entire, 
  narrowed 
  

   into 
  a 
  broad 
  petiole, 
  with 
  shaggy 
  hairs 
  at 
  the 
  base. 
  Scapes 
  1 
  -flowered, 
  

   crowded 
  amongst 
  the 
  leaves, 
  at 
  first 
  very 
  short 
  xb''-T6-" 
  ^^^S 
  (always 
  ?) 
  

   elongating 
  as 
  the 
  fruit 
  matures 
  ; 
  sepals 
  short, 
  broad, 
  obtuse 
  ; 
  corolla 
  tube 
  

   narrow, 
  lobes 
  acute, 
  spreading, 
  ovary 
  large, 
  ovate. 
  Capsule 
  (always 
  ?) 
  

   when 
  ripe 
  on 
  an 
  elongated 
  scape 
  f"-l" 
  long, 
  very 
  large, 
  fully 
  ^"-jV 
  hroad, 
  

   ovate, 
  apiculate, 
  glabrous, 
  imperfectly 
  4-celled, 
  cells 
  2-seeded. 
  

  

  a29 
  

  

  