A38 RANUNCULACEAE. | Ranunculus. 
4, R. insignis Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i (1853) 8, t. 2.—A stout, erect, 
paniculately branched plant 1-3 ft. in height, usually villous in all its parts, 
brownish or rufous when dry. Radical leaves numerous, large, on stout 
petioles with broad sheathing bases, thick and coriaceous, rounded-cordate 
or reniform, crenate and often shortly lobed, 4-9 in. diam. ; cauline smaller, 
upper ones cut and lobed. Peduncles often very numerous, stout; bracts 
linear-oblong. Flowers golden-yellow, 1-2in. diam. Sepals 5, woolly at 
the back. Petals 5-6, rarely more, obcordate, with 1 or 2 glands at the 
base. Stamens many, short. Receptacle oblong, pubescent. Achenes 
forming a rounded head $in. diam., tumid, villous; style long, slender.— 
Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 4; TZ. Kirk Students’ Fl: (1899) 7; Cheesem. 
Man. N.Z. Fl. (1906) 10. R. Ruahinicus Col. om Trans. N.Z. Inst. xviii 
(1886) 256. R. sychnopetala Col. l.c. xxv (1893) 324, and xxvi (1894) 313 
(a monstrous state with very numerous narrow petals). R. rufus Col. l.c. 
xxvill (1896) 591. 
Norrs Istanp: High mountains of the interior, from the East Cape, Tongariro, 
and Ruapehu southwards to the Kaimanawa, Ruahine, and Tararua Mountains. 
SourH Istanp: Nelson—Mountains, not uncommon from Collingwood and the Mount 
Arthur Range southwards to Lake Rotoiti and the Upper Wairau Valley to Lake 
Tennyson; Kaikoura Mountains, &c.  _ Altitudinal range 2500-5000 ft. January— 
February. 
A beautiful plant, varying much in size, stoutness, degree of hairiness, &c. I have 
seen no South Island specimens equalling in size and number of flowers those collected 
by Colenso more than fifty years ago on the Ruahine Mountains and now preserved 
in his herbarium. 
Cy. Karte) 
5. R. lobulatus Wockayne in Trans. N.Z. Inst..xxxviii (1906) 373 (name 
only).—Rather slender, paniculately branched above, 12-18in. high. 
Radical leaves numerous, large, 6-14 in. long or more ; blade 6-8 in. diam., 
usually orbicular-reniform with an open sinus; but sometimes the sinus 1s 
closed, so that the leaf becomes more or less subpeltate ; shallowly lobed, with 
the lobes again lobed or crenate, rather thin and membranous; upper 
surface glabrous or nearly so, bright-green ; the under-surface paler, and 
together with the margins and petiole more or less clothed with long and 
slender white hairs. Scape 15-18 in. high, 5-15-flowered, glabrous, or with 
a few long hairs at the axils of the branches. Flowers 1-liin. diam., 
bright-yellow. Sepals reflexed, oblong, pilose with long hairs. Petals 5-6, 
obovate, rounded or emarginate at the apex. Ripe achenes not seen.— 
R. insignis var. lobulatus 7. Kirk Students’ Fl. (1899) 8; Cheesem Man. 
N.Z. Fl. (1906) 10. a, 4g Tack. TH 2» Liquad, 
SourH IsLanp ; Marlborough—Mount Fyffe, 7. Kirk! H. J. Matthews ! Cockayne ! 
Kowhai River, 7. Kirk ; Woodside Creek, Cockayne. Altitudinal range from sea- 
level to 3000 ft. October-November. 
A very handsome and remarkable species. I have seen few wild specimens, but 
the late Mr. H. J. Matthews supplied me with an excellent suite obtained from cultivated 
plants in his garden at Dunedin. 
6. R. Godleyanus Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. (1864) 723.—Stout, erect, 
olabrous, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves all radical, on thick fleshy petioles 2-6 in. 
long by 3-3 in. diam.; blade 3-6in. long, broadly oblong, rounded at the 
apex, cordate, rounded or cuneate at the base, coarsely crenate, fleshy or 
coriaceous ; veins reticulate. Scape stout, usually longer than the leaves, 
naked below, bearing above the middle 2-4 large sessile or shortly stalked 
oblong or rounded bracts, from the axils of which proceed several simple 
