Notes on New Zealand Floristic Botany. Including description of new species, etc.—No 8. By H. H. Allan. [Read before the Wellington Branch of the Royal Society, October 23, 1946; received by Editor, October 29, 1946; issued separately, September, 1947.] Abrotanella spathulata Hook. f. Previously only recorded for the Auckland and Campbell Islands; this species was independently collected by Mr. Owen Fletcher and by Miss L. B. Moore in herbfield near the Homer tunnel, Fiord Botanical District. Carex albula nom. nov. Cheeseman (Trans. N.Z. Inst.; 16, 1884, p. 436) wrote, “Near Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, I have collected specimens of a plant closely allied to (C. comans Berggr.) but differing in the stouter habit, much larger and broader glumes with longer awns, and rather broader perigynia. I had placed it as a variety of C. comans, but Mr. J. G. Baker, of Kew, who has done me the favour of comparing it with an authoritative specimen of C. comans received from Dr. Berggren, considers it to be distinct.” Of the Tekapo plant Cheeseman wrote later (Trans. N.Z. Inst.; 24, 1892, p. 415), “It has a very distinct appearance, and may be entitled to specific rank, but for the present I prefer to place it under C. comans as var. stricta.” This position he maintained (Man. N.Z. Flora, 1925, p. 273). The species is amply distinct from C. comans Berggr., but as there is already a C. strita Good. (1799), a new name is required for our species. Carex cirrhosa Berggr. Berggren's specimens were collected “ad flumen Waimakariri in alpibus insulae australis.” Cheeseman gives “Upper Waimakariri and Lake Lyndon.” The species also occurs in the Mackenzie Basin, near Lake Tekapo, and has probably a wider distribution. Celmisia praestans sp. nov. Herba scapigera ad 30 cm. alta, foliis distincte petiolatis. Vaginae ± 5 cm. longae purpureae, marginibus subdensiter pilis albis longis praeditis. Petioli atro-purpurei ± 4 cm. longi. Laminae ± 10 cm. longae, ± 2.5 cm. latae, elliptico-oblongae, superne virides, glabrae, subtus tomento ferrugineo appresso obsitae, marginibus ciliolatis, costis purpureis. Scapi ± 20 cm. longi, pilis fcrrugincis indutis; bracteae ± 3, lineares, obtusae, ± 3 cm. longae. Capitula ± 5 cm. diam.; involueri squamae anguste lineares, ± 1.5 cm. longae, marginibus ferrugineo-ciliolatis. Flosculi radii anguste lineares ± 2.5 cm. longi. Flosculi disci infundibuliformi, tubis ± 4 mm. longis, superne campanulati, limbis ± 3 mm. longis. Pappi setae ad 7 mm. longae, graciles, minute barbellatae. Achaenia immatura compressa ± 4mm. longa, leviter subremote sulcata, glabra.

Subalpine herbfield at ca. 900 m. on mountain east of Cascade Basin, head of Long Sound, Preservation Inlet. Leg. A. C. S. Wright 29/1/1946. Type specimen in herbarium of Botany Division, Plant Research Bureau, Wellington. This handsome species (Fig. 1) has affinities with C. petiolata Fig. 1.—Celmisia praestans Allan. Type specimen.

and C. rigida. From G. petiolata it differs inter alia in the more coriaceous leaf-texture, the ferrugineus tomentum and more obtuse leaf-apices; from C. rigida in the narrower, elliptic oblong leaves and the densely tomentose scapes. Fig. 2.—Cheesemania fastigiuta var. stellata Allan. Flowering specimen.

Celmisia spectabilis Hook, f. var. magnifica var. nov. Ab varietatibus reliqu's hujus speciei recedit foliis (cum vaginis) ± 4 cm. longis, vaginis scapisque pilis longis albis nitidis dense praeditis, scapis longioribus. Fig 3.—Cheesemania fastianata var. stellata Allan. Fiulting specimen.

Type specimen in herbarium of Botany Division, Plant Research Bureau, Wellington, from low tussock-grassland, Hunter's Hills, South Canterbury, ca. 450 m. Also collected by Miss R. Mason at Haepaetemoana River, Four Peaks, South Canterbury. This striking variety occurs in large colonies, and apparently increases as a result of the burning of the tussock cover. Cheesemania fastigiata (Hook. f.) Schultz var. stellata var. nov. A typo differt foliis caulibusque densiter stellipilis obsitis. This distinct variety (Figs. 2, 3) was noted on dry rock-buttresses near the homestead, Molesworth Station, Upper Awatere River, and in similar habitats on a branch of the tributary Yeo River, not far-distant. The hairs are shorter and harsher than those of C. enysii. Typical C. fastigiata was noted along the Molesworth Creek, Cat Creek near Tarndale homestead, and at the head of Lake Tennyson. Fig. 4.—Convolvulus fracto-saxosa Petrie, Molesworth.

Type specimen of the variety in the herbarium of the Botany Division. Plant Research Bureau, Wellington. Cheesemania wallii (Carse) comb. nov. Nasturtium wallii Carse in Trans. N.Z. Inst.; 57, 1927, p. 92. Clematis paniculata J. F. Gmelin. Rehder (Journ. Arnold Arbor.; 26, 1945, p. 70) points out that the name C. paniculata Gmelin in Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 13, 3, 1: 873 (1791) based on C. integrifolia Forst. f. in Fl. Ins. Austral. Prodr. 42 (1786) non Linnaeus (1753) antedates C. indivisa Willd. in Sp. Pl. 2, 2: 1291 (1800) also based on C. integrifolia Forst. f., and must be taken up for the New Zealand species. Convolvulus fracto-saxosa Petrie. Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Flora,; 1925, p. 743) dismisses this species with the remark: “I have no specimens of Mr. Petrie's C. fracto saxosa (Trans. N.Z. Inst.; 45 (1913), 271), but, judging from the description, and recognising how variable C. crubescens is, I should imagine that it is nothing but a reduced state of that plant, with the leaves and stems rather more hairy than usual,” Petrie, however, had clearly pointed out the remarkable polymorphy of the leaves of his species (Fig. 4), which separates it at once from any forms of C. erubescens found in the lower Awatere and Wairau valleys. Petrie's specimens came from the “Awatere Basin, on shingle-slip.” It also occurs on disintegrated rock and in modified low tussock-grassland near the homestead, Molesworth Station. Dianella intermedia Endl. var. norfolkensis F. B. H. Brown in B. P. Bishop Mus. Occ. Papers 9, 1930, p. 11. Brown gives “F. B. H. Brown, no. 162” from Kauri Gulch near Auckland as the “reference type,” and states that the variety occurs in Norfolk Island, Fiji and New Zealand. Skottsberg (B. P. Bishop Mus. Occ. Papers 13, 1937, p. 234) discusses the genus, stating that the variety “agrees perfectly with all New Zealand plants I have examined, but it differs from the Norfolk plants.” New Zealand forms examined by me agree in the critical fruit characters, but show diversity in flower colour and size. If treated as a variety of the aggregate species D. intermedia, the New Zealand plant must bear the varietal name of norfolkensis, whether it occurs elsewhere or not. Heimerliodendron Skottsb. in Sv. Bot. Tidskr., Bd. 35, H. 4, 1941. The parapara, long known in New Zealand botanical literature as Pisonia brunoniana Endl., has suffered many changes of generic name, but has been finally placed in the paper cited above as Heimerliodendron brunoniarum (Endl.) Skottsb. Helichrysum plumeum comb, et nom. nov. Cheeseman (Man. N.Z. Flora, 1906, p. 343) briefly describes his var. tomentosum of H. selago (Hook. f.) Benth. et Hook. f.: “Leaves oblong, subacute, almost concealed by fulvous woolly tomentum. Heads not seen. Perhaps a distinct species.” This was slightly altered in his second edition (Man. N.Z. Flora, 1925, p. 986) by the addition of “altogether” after “almost.” The type specimen was collected by

Cheeseman on Mount Dobson at ca. 1,500 m. A fruiting specimen (Fig. 5) collected by Dr. and Mrs. Woodhouse on a rocky outcrop on Blue Cliffs Station, Hunter's Hills, South Canterbury, established that the plant deserves specific rank, and enables a fuller description to be given. Capitula matura ± 6 mm. lata, ± 40-flora. Involueri squamae ± 25, 3-seriatae, ± 4.5 mm. longae, ± 1 mm. latae, lineari-oblongae, inferne leviter incrassatae, nitentes, luteo-albidae, radiantes, glabrae, apicibus acutis externe luteo-pilosis exceptis. Receptacula parva. nuda. Corolla ± 3 mm. longa, filiformi-tubulosa. Pappi setae ± 9, ± 3 mm. longae, aliquantulum crassae, albae, barbellatae. Achaenia ± 1.5 mm. longa, angusta, applanata vel aliquantum angulata, sparsis pilis appressis brevibus obsita. Fig. 5.—Helichrysum plumoum Allan. Blue Cliffs Station.

The leaves, densely clothed in long floccose hairs (purposely somewhat scanted in Fig. 5), are rounded and thickened at the apex-hardly subacute, with midrib evident on both surfaces. Exposed hairs are yellowish, concealed hairs pure white. As there is a Helichrysum tomentosum Humbert in Mem. Soc. Linn. Norman.; 25, 1923, pp. 92, 297, a new name had to be sought. Myrsine L. Hosaka (B. P. Bishop Mus. Occ. Papers 16, 1940, p. 25) has given cogent reasons for rejecting the genera Suttonia A. Richard 1932 and Rapanea Aublet 1737. The only new combination required for the new Zealand species is Myrsine australis (A. Rich.) Allan comb. nov.; Suttonia australis A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel., 1832, t. 38; Myrsine urvillei A. DC. in Trans. Linn. Soc., 17, 1834, p. 105. Schoenus caespitans Petrie. Damp places, Blue Cliffs Station, in tussock-grassland, A. Wood-house ! The type specimens came from the Ure Valley, Marlborough. collected by A. Wall. Senecio pufflni H. H. Allan nom. nov. in Journ. Arnold Arbor.; 27, 1946, p. 174 Rehder (Journ. Arnold Arbor.; 27, 1946, p. 174) points out that the name Senecio rotundifolius Hook. f., in Flor. Nov.-Zeland. 1, 1853. p. 149, is antedated by both S. rotundifolius Stokes in Bot. Mat. Med. 4. 1812, p. 215, and S. rotundifolius Lapeyrouse in Hist. Abr. Pl. Pryen., 1813, p. 517. A new epithet was therefore necessary for the New Zealand plant. The illustrations accompanying this paper were prepared by Miss N. Adams of the Botany Division, Plant Research Bureau-Wellington.