u
r .
Radis perennis, crassa, subpricmorsa, magis minusve elongata, fibres pallidos carnosos simplices, superne
pracipue, emittens. Folia 1-2 unc. longa. 2-3 lata, omnia radlcalia, patentia v. erecto-patentia, carnosula,
crassa, pilosa (pUis deciduis), longe petiolata, reniformi-rotundata, radiatim venosa, basi lata subincurva, vel
subrhomboidea, omnia pluri-lobata, lobis rotundatis magis minusve obtusis integris v. crenatis. Petioli 1-3
unciales, folio longiores, semiteretes, pilosi, basi latissime vaginati, vaginis striatis nervosis extus sKpe rigide
fibrosis e reliquiis persistentibus vaginarum vetustarum, margine membranaceis. Scapi sobtarn v. bim, ranus
plures, erecti, crassi, foliis vix longiores, teretes, pilosi, 1- v. rarissime 2-flori, nudi v. 1-2-bracteati, bractea
elongi^to-cuneata integra V. obtuse 1-2-dentata. Kos majusculus, unciam latus. Cilfyx 5 - rarius 6-sepalus,
sepaHs patentibus, ovalibus, submembranaceis, purpureo-tinctis. Pétala flava, purpureo-venosa, numero varia,
5-8 -1 0 , obovato-cuneato, v. bneari-spathulata, inaequalia, calyce breviora, medio nectarifera, nectariis e glan-
dulis 3 depressis marginatis, in totidem ñervos sitis. Stamina plurima; filamentis latis ; antheris ovalibus obtusis.
Carpella uumerosissima, in capitulum globosum magnitudine Coryli Avellams nucís, glabernma, Isevia, ovata, nec
compressa, dorso cariuatis, lateribus alato-marginatis, alis ad apioem styU stricti unoinati rective decurrentibus.
A very handsome species, and quite distinct from any with which I am acquainted. It possesses, however,
several of the peculiarities of other Ranunculi from the mountains of South America and the high southern
latitudes, particularly in the variable form and number of the petals. In its succulent habit and undivided
leaves it has an affinity with R. Cymbalaria. but is perhaps most nearly allied to R.nivicola (Hook. Ic. PI.
t. 5 7 1 -2 ); especially as in one of our specimens the scape is bifid, 2-flowered, and bearing a large cauline leaf,
thus showing a disposition in the plant to become caulescent. In the less divided foliage, shape of the petals,
&c„ it widely differs from that species, and more particularly in the curious nectaries which are only observable
in the var. ß, becoming evanescent in the larger and common state of the plant. Here they are large, and
situated each about the middle of one of the three principal nerves, which seems to branch into three, the middle
branch being continued through the nectary, while the lateral ones are thickened and run round its edge,
all three uniting again at its summit. This circumstance may however he only caused by the thickened margin
of the fovea, as^the nerves do not appear branched in the petals of a, nor in those of intermediate states, where
the nectaries are only perceptible as opake spots. These singular nectaries are also common to another scapi-
gerous single-flowered species, the R. Gunnianus of Tasmania (Hook. Journ. Bot. vol. i. p. 244. t. 133), a plant
which has also compressed or 2-winged styles.
PL.1TE I. Fig. 1, s epal; fig. 2 &fig. 3, petals ; fig. 4, petal of var. ß ; fig. 5,>tamen ; fig. 6, ovarium ; fig. 7,
th e same cut open :—all magnified.
2. R - a n u n o u l u s (H ecato n ia) acaulis, B an k s e t S o l.; p u s illu s, g lab e rrim u s, sa rmentosus,
foliis omn ibus rad icalib u s longe p e tio la tis cordatis te n ia tim sectis, lobis seu foliolis su b p etio lu la tis,
ob tu sis, intermedio in teg ro v. trífido, la te ra lib u s in teg ris v. inaequaliter bifidis, scapis soUtariis petiolo
b rev io rib u s, sepalis 3 -5 o v ato -ro tu n d a tis, petalis 6 -8 flavis la te sp a th u la tls o b tusis calyce du p lo lon-
gioribus medio squamuloso-ne ctariferis, c apitulo globoso, carpellis pauc is (5-7) ovatis gibbosis Imvi-
b u s stylo recto brevi su b u lato te rm in a tis . (T a b . U .)— Ba n k s et Sol. M S S . in H e r l. Mus. B r it.
DeC. P rodr. vol. i. p. 34. A . Cunn. Pro d r. Fl. N o v. Zeal, in A n n . N a t. H is t. vol. iv. p. 258.
H a b . L o rd A u ck lan d ’s g ro u p ; mo ist places n e a r th e sea.
These specimens entirely agree with others gathered in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand : the plant ap.
patently prefers, and is perhaps confined to, the immediate neighbourhood of the sea, and in this meridian has
a range of 16 degrees of latitude a t the level of the ocean. The only species to which it has any affinity is the
R stenopetalus. Hook. (Ic, Plant, t. 677), from Chill, to which it is very nearly allied; the difference in the
comparative breadth of the petals being almost the only one I have heen able to detect. The situation of the
nectary on the petals near their middle is common to a large proportion of the sjieciea of tins genus in the
southern hemisphere, but very rare In those of the northern; the R.parviflorus being perhaps the only British
one in which it is inserted at a considerable distance from their base. The foliage of this plant is sufficiently
accurately described by DeCandolle from Sir Joseph Banks’s New Zealand specimens, but the corolla requires
some correction, and the fruit was unknown to th a t author. The calyx consists of from 3-5 membranous,
very concave, deciduous sepals. Petals narrow, variable in number, about twice as long as tlie sepals, bright
yellow, U line long, spreading and horizontal in the expanded flower during the day, 3-nerved ; nectary conspicuous,
sunk, and covered with a closely appressed scale, forming together a deep fovea, opening upwards,
placed on the middle of the petal and resembling the fructification of some Davallia. Filaments short, linear-
subulate. Anthers broadly oblong. Ovaries about 15, some abortive, gibbous at the base, with a curved falcate
style. Carpels forming globose heads, few in number, 6 -8 or 10, rather large, compressed, especially
towards the axis of the receptacle; the style straight or curved, very short or longer and subulate.
P l a t e II. Fig. 1. b u d ; fig. 2, flower; fig. 3, s ep al; fig. 4, p e ta ls ; fig. 5, stamen ; fig. 6. ovarium ■, fig. 7.
head of carpels; fig. 8, carpel removed; fig. 9, vertical section of the same; fig . 10, lateral; a n d /p . 11, front
view of seed ;— all more or less magnified.
3. R a n u n c u l u s (Hecatonia) sulscaposus, H o o k . f i l .; to tu s p ilis su b rig id is ap p re s s is fulvis
h isp id o -p u b e sc en s, foliis p le risq u e rad icalib u s longissime p e tio la tis delto id eo -co rd atis p ro fu n d e tri-
p a rtitis lobis late cu n e a tis in teq u a lite r 3 -7 -fid is segmen tis a cu tis , scapis folio brev io rib u s unifloris
1 -3 -p h y llis su p e rn e in c ra ssa tis e t dense pilosis, p etalis 5 calyce b rev io rib u s obovato-oblongis in fra
medium squamu lo so -n e ctariferis.—Hook. Ic. P la n t, vol. viii. ined.
H.a b . Campbell’s Is lan d ; b y th e m a rg in s o f riv u le ts in th e woods, D. L y a ll, E sq .
This plant I never saw growing; it was detected by my friend Mr. Lyall. In general appearance it very
closely resembles the R. lappaceus, Sm., of Tasmania and the northern parts of New Zealand, a species which
varies ranch in size, in the form of the leaves, and in the nature of the pubescence. The R. subscaposus is more
slender in habit, with the hairs always closely appressed and of a tawny yellow colour ; but the most important
distinction lies in the form and size of the petals, which in R. lappaceus are much larger than the calyx and very
broadly obovato. cuneate, with a large triangular fleshy nectary at the very b a s e ; but in this plant they are
smaller, of a very different shape, and the nectary consists of a minute flat round scale placed a little below the
middle. The petioles are nearly a span long ; the leaves about an inch in length and somewhat more in width.
II. CRUCIFERuE, Juss.
1. C a r d a m in e hirsu ta , L .; var. subcarnosa\ g lab ra , floribus m a ju scu lis, p etalis alb id is p u r-
pureisve, sty lis b revibus latis, stigm a tib u s subsessilibus.
H a b . Campbell’s I s la n d ; very common on g rassy b an k s from th e sea to an a ltitu d e o f 5 0 0 feet.
Abundantly gathered and used as a salad by the officers of the ships, its succulent leaves being an excellent
antiscorbutic. A very dwarf hairy state of this is common among the rocks close to the sea, having the
flowers always purple. Except in the very fleshy leaves, and, occasionally, coloured petals, this is in no way to
be distinguished from the ordinary states of C. hirsuta, and especially from Cape Horn and Falkland Island specimens,
in which the style and stigmata are variable both in length and breadth ; in the large size of the petals
it agrees with Icelandic and other hyperborean specimens. My friend Mr. H. C. Watson agrees with me in
considering that no specific difference exists between tliis plant and our English C. hirsuta, though they grow
.nearly at the antipodes of each other. Of the stigmas in the European form, he observes, “ they are broader
I