1. Myosums aristaius, Benth.; sepalis 5 calcare breyi, stamimbus 5, spica oblonga acuta 30-30-gyna,
carpellis laxe imbricatis ovatis stylo persistente recurvo subaristatis. Benth. in Hook. Load. Loam. Boi.
V. 6. p . 459. M. apétalas. Gap, Flor. Chili, v. 1. yj. 31. t. \ . f . 1.
H a b . East and south-east coasts of the Northern Island; on the pebbly beach near Cape PalHser, Colenso.
I c,an find no difference between tWs and the Chilian plant found by M. Gay at 11,600 feet on the Andes in
lat. 30° S., and by Mr. Bridges ou the same range about 10° further south; also by M. Geyer in California.
The New Zealand specimens are very small, hardly an inch high; they have no petals, and the spur of the
sepals is short, M. minimus, the European (and only other) species of the genus, was also found in temperate North
America and in Chili (Port Desire), by Mr. Darwin.
Gen. II I. RANUNCULUS, Linn.
Sépala 4. Petala 5-10, basi foveola nectarifera instructa. Stamina et Ovaria 00. Carpella 1-
sperma, iu capitulum subglobosum disposita, stylo subulate persistente recto v. recurvo terminata.
A verj‘ extensive genus, aud one of the few that constitutes a considerable portion of almost every temperate
flora, whether insular or continental; being rare or unknown, however, in the tropics and especially iu tropical oceanic
islands, except when such have high mountains. The New Zealand species belong to three sections, all with yellow
flowers aud generally dirided leaves : some of them are amongst the handsomest of the genus : a few are common to
Tasmania and New Holland, others hear a very great similarity to Chilian, Fuegian, and Falkland-Island species,
but are distmct. The genus may be identified among the other New Zealand Bananculacece, by its five to eight
yellow petals and heads of small one-seeded nuts. (Name from rana, a frog, many species growing in water.)
* Stems iranchei, erect, two or more flowered, more or less hairy or woolly;—one species (R. multiscapus) has
sinyle-flowered scapes. Carpels smooth.
1 . Ranunculus insignis. Hook, fil.; erectas, robustas (4-pedalis), tomento fulvo v. mfo subsericeo
ubique dense lanatus, foliis valide petiolatis (petiolo 6-unciali) rotundatis cordatis v. reniformibus (4-8 uno.
diametr.) grosse crenato-lobatis crassis coriaceis venosis, caulinis lobatis, caule pluries diviso 00-floro, pedunculis
validis, floribus magnis ( l i unc. latis), sepalis late oblongis dorso lanatis, petalis 5-6 obcordatis
basi foveobs 2 instructis, carpellis birsutis densissime .confertis stylo vix recurvo gracili terminatis. Tab. II.
H a b , Northern Island. Mountains of Ruahine, Tongariro, and ilikurangi, Colenso.
This magnificent plant may be known at once by its great size (2-4 feet high), stout habit, the dense
woolly clothing of all parts (except the petals) which turns red in drying; the rounded leaves 8-10 inches across,
of a veiy thick texture; large flowers as broad as a halfpenny, of a bright yellow; the two pits at the base of the
petals, and the long styles to the fruit.—P l a t e II. Fig. 1, petal; 2, stamen; 3, pistil; 4, head of carpels; 5,
carpel;—all but fig. 4 magnified.
•I. Eaminculus nimcola. Hook.; erectas, 2-3-pedalis, pilis longis hirsutas v. glabrat us, foliis longe pe-
tiolatis 3-5 unc. latis reniformi-cordatis rotandatisve profunde 3-7-lobis, lobis lato-cuneatis inciso-crenatis,
caulinis paucis laciniatis, caule paniculatim ramoso, floribus magnis (H unc. diametr,), sepalis 5 dorso liir-
sutis, petalis 10-15 cuneato-obcordatis basi fovea nectarifera instructis, carpellis glabris stylo recto apicc
uncinato terminatis. Hooh. Ic. Plant, t. 571, 572.
Ha b . Northern Island. Mount Egmont, near the perpetual snow, alt. 7000 feet, Lieffenbach.
A very handsome species, but smaller than R. insignis and fewer-flowered. Easily distinguished by its spreading
liairs when these are present, which are soft and silky, chiefly clothing the underside of leaf and stalks and the
flower-stalks. The flowers are almost as large as those of R. insignis, but the petals are very numerous, much narrower,
and have only one nectariferous pit at the base ; they are notched at the top.
3. Ranunculus Hook, fil.; gracilis, caulescciis, 1-H-pedaUs, parce hirsutus v. glabratus,
foliis longe petiolatis 2 unc. latis orbiculari-reniformibus ultra medium 3-5-partitis segmeutis cuneatis
sublobatis crenatis, caulinis linearibus, caule diviso paucifloro, pedunculis elongatis hirsutis, floribus
1 - 1 unc, diametr., sepalis 6-8 dorso pilosis, petalis 8-10 lineari-oblongis apice rotundatis basi fovea nectarifera
instructis, carpellis glabris stylo recto apice uncinato terminatis. T a b . I I I .
H a b . Northern Island. By rills from the snow of the Ruahine mountains, Colenso.
Whole plant slender, smaller and more graceful than R. nivicola, easily distinguished by the cut leaves,
which are deeply divided into lobes, aud are only two to three inches across; by the few flowers, with many narrow
petals rounded (not notched) at the top, and by the smooth nuts. The leaves much resemble those of many
Geraniums.—P la te III. Fig. 1, petal; 2, stamen; 3, pistil; 4, head of carpels; 5, carpel:—o7i; h u tflg .i
4. Ranunculus plehems, B r.; patentan pilosus v. glabratus, caule erecto diviso, foliis longe petiolatis
3-sectis segmentis sessilibus v. petiolatis oblongo-cuneatis varie 3-5-lobis crenato-dentatis, caulinis con-
formibus supremis sessilibus, pedunculis sulcatis, floribus parvis ( i unc. diametr.), sepalis 5 reflexis
patentim pilosis, petalis 5 obovato-cuneatis apice rotundatis basi fovea nectarifera instructis, carpellis late
obovatis compressis marginatis, stylo brevi uncinato, receptáculo piloso. LC. Prodr. v. l . p . 39. R. acris et
R. plebeius, A. Cunn. Prod.r. R. acris, A. Rich. Flora.
IÍ.1B. Nortliem Island. Common at the Bay of Islands and Auckland, etc., especially near inhabited
places, Cunningham, etc.
Very similar to tke R. repms of Europe and Nortk America, and refeiTcd to R. acrk by A. Richard, and
in part by A. Cunningham, in whose collection, however, there are no specimens so named. It is characterized
by its erect, slender habit; very hairy stems and leaves, which latter are cut into narrow segments ; small flowers ;
aud smooth flattened carpels, with a thick margin, aud short liooked style. The same plant is found in Australia,
where it is generally more hairy, and has larger flowers; also in the interior of South Africa, from mountainous
districts. It is so similar to specimens of R. repens, from various parts of the world, that I doubted its proving distinct
; the small flowers are its most conspicuous character. The leaves have usually petiolate divisions, and are
not palmate, as in -ñ. acris. De Candolle says (Systema, vol. i. p. 186) i\\d.i R. repens often wants flagella or
scious, and is wholly erect. The receptacles are hairy in the New Zealand plant, and the peduncles furrowed.
5. Ranunculus hirtus, Banks et Sol.; patentim pilosus v. villosus, subscapigerus, caule debili erecto
diriso, foliis radicalibus plurimis longe petiolatis trisectis, junioribus 3-lobis, foliolis sessilibus v. petiolatis
late ovatis 3-5-dentatis lobatisve rarius 3-sectis, caulinis paucis angustioribus, pedunculis gracilibus fruc-
tiferis sulcatis patentim villosis glabratisve, floribus 1 lin. ad i - f unc. diametr., sepalis petalisque 5-8, receptáculo
carpellisque ut in R.pleheio. DC. Prodr. v. l . p . 39. A. Cunn. Prodr.
H a b . Northern Island, abundant. Banks and Solander, etc.
I have applied the name of R. hirtus to this plant with some doubt, the styles of the achenia being invariably
hooked, not straight, as described by DC. Mr. Cunningham calls the same plant hirtus, and describes the styles as
straight, though those of his specimens are hooked, as are the original ones of Banks and Solander iu the British
Museum. It appears to he the same as R. pmpinellifolius, Hook., of Tasmania, and may easily be known by its
hairiness; the numerous radical leaves, with broad segments, which are lobed, and not deeply cut as in R. plebeius;
and by its stems being more sparingly divided aud slender, like scapes. In alpine districts it becomes a low,
stunted, and very villous plant, like the variety vestitus of R. pimpinellifoUus (Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 260), the leaves
also being pinnatcly divided.
6. Ranunculus multiscapus, Hook, fil.; parvulus, scapigenis, sericeo-pilosus v. glabratus, foliis omnibus
c