Gen. II . NASTURTIUM, Br.
Siliqua teretiuscula, abbreviata, cui-vata v. declinata. Stigma subbilobnm. Calyx patens, basi Eequalis.
Semina irregulariter biseriata, immarginata; cotyledonibus accumbentibus.
Leafy branching shrubs, with dentate or pirinatifid leaves, small yellow or white flowers, and pungent taste.
The pods are patent or reflexed, short and curving, with the seeds in two rows in each division. The genus is
found chiefly in the temperate cbmates of both hemispheres, and the New Zealand species is found in many other
parts of the world. (Name from nams tortus, a twisted nose, some acrid species causing sneezing.)
1. Nasturtium terrestre, B r.; suberecta, glabra v. pilosa, fobis integris piunati-lobatisve plus minusve
auriculatis, lobis conflaentibus sinuato-dentatis, petalis flavis calycem mquantibus, siliquis brevibus turgidis
oblique oblongis, pedicellis gracilibus Eequilongis in stylum brevem abrupte contractis, seminibus plurimis.
Engl. Bot. t. 1747. N. palustre, I)C. N. sylvestre, A. Rich, et A. Cunn. non Br. Sisymbrium
pilosum. Banks et Sol. MSS. N. semipinnatifidum. Rook. Joum. Bot. v. 1. p . 246.
H a b . Northern and IMiddle Islands, not uncommon; Banks et Solander, etc. Native name,
“ Chiqui," R Urville.
Tbe small yellow flowers readily distinguish this, as do tbe very short turgid obliquely-curved pods. The state
with entire leaves, caUed N. semipinnatijiduriv, is found in Bonaria aud Tasmania, as well as in New Zealand. The
common form (smooth or glabrous), with pinnatifid or pinnately-cut leaves, has a very wide geographical range ; in
the old world from Upsala to the Nbe, and in the new from the Arctic Sea-coast (between Cape Bairow and
Mackenzie River, Captain Pullen) to Mexico.
Ob s . Nasturtium officinale, the common Water-cress, appears to be naturalized about Auckland, as at St. Helena
and elsewhere; but is a native of tbe Northern hemisphere only.
Gen. I I I . BARBAREA, Br.
Siliqua linearis, corapresso-tetragona; valvis nervosis, muticis, concavis, subcarinatis. Semina uni-
seriata; cotyledonibus accumbentibus.
Stout, erect, leafy herbs (called “ Yellow Rocket” and “ AVinter-cress” in England), with generally a nauseous
acrid taste, broadly lyrate pinnatifld leaves, and racemes of yellow flowers. Pods erect on short stalks, long, flattened,
bluntly four-angled, tenninated by a short stout style. Valves strongly veined. Seeds very numerous. (Name from
the European species haring been dedicated to St. Barbara.)
1. Barbarea australis, Hook, fil.; foliis inferioribus lyrato-pinnatifidis lobis lateralibus obovato-
oblongis terminali ovato sinuato, superioribus integris lobatis pinnati-partitisve, floribus majusculis,
siliquis erecto-patentibus linearibus compresso-tetragonis pedicello tereti elongato latioribus, valvis venosis,
stylo brevi recto.
H a b . Northern Island, Colenso. Nat. name, “ Toi," Colenso.
My New Zealand specimens are indifferent, and bave no habitat. Mr. Colenso says it was once eaten by the
natives to some extent, and he considers it wild. The description is made up chiefly from specimens from Tasmania, of
apparently the same plant, which is certainly wild in that island, and grows commonly three feet high. The New
Zealand specimens entirely resemble B. pracox in fobage, as far as I understand that plant, which, whether in books
or herbaria, seems either excessively variable, or very difficult to define. The characters given to B. pracox by authors
(especially those taken from the foliage) are vague and unsatisfactory; but the flowers appear always to be larger
and the pedicels slenderer in this. In the Tasmanian plant, the last lobe of the lower leaves is usually very large
and sinuate, two to three inches long, and there are sometimes very few pinnules. The pods are one and *a half
inch long and one to one and a half lines broad, obscurely compressed; pedicels two lines long. Were it not that
B. prcecox is presumed to be a native of the Northern hemisphere alone, I should have felt inclined to unite this
with i t : as it is, the locality of this, together with its characters of large flower, broad pod, and comparatively
slender pedicels, may serve to distinguish it.
Gen. IV. LEPIDIUM, Br.
Silicula ovata v. subcordata, lateraliter compressa, apice integerrima v. emarginata, valvis carinatis,
loculis 1 -spermis; cotyledonibus incumbentibus.
Erect or prostrate brancMng herbs, sometimes with v'oody stems, and often acrid or pungent leaves (as in the
garden-cress, L. sativum), which are toothed or pinnatifid. Flowers wliite. Stamens four to six. Pods broad,
much flattened laterally, winged or keeled at the back. The species are chiefly natives of the North and South
temperate zones. (Name from Acttis, a scale, which the flat pods resemble.)
1. Lepidium. oleraceum, Forst.; caule crasso suffruticoso ramoso, foliis elliptico- v. lineari-oblongis
integerrimis apice serratis v. per totam longitudinem argute serratis, racemis brevibus, floribus albis, staminibus
4, siliquis ovatis subacutis. Forst. Prodr. BC. Prodr. v. 1. p . 207. A. Rich. Flora. A. Cunn, Prodr.
L. frondosum. Banks et Sol. MSS. et Ic.
H a b . Northern and Middle Islands; abundant on the shores. Nat. name, “ Eketera," TFUrville.
A sub-erect smooth plant, ten to eighteen inches high, with a short, stout, woody, scarred stem, much branched
above. Leaves narrow-oblong or obovate or cuneate, two to three inches long, the lower sharply serrate, the upper
entire or toothed towards the tip. Flowers vei-y nnraerous, smaU, white, with four stamens. Pods on slender
spreading pedicels, much compressed, ovate, rather sharp, with a short style. The whole plant, when bruised, has
a disagreeable smell: it is found nowhere but in New Zealand.
2. Lepidium incis-um, Banks et Sol.; glaberrimum, radice lignoso multicipite, ramis prostratis laxe
foliosis apicibus asceudentibus, foliis inferioribus longe petiolatis pimiatifidis laciniis 4-6-jugis patenti-
recurvis crenato-dentatis, superioribus lineari-cuneatis apice dentatis, floribus parvis albidis, siliquis ovato-
cordatis pedicellis 4 brevioribus. Banks et Sol. MSS. et Ic.
Ha b . Northern Island. Opuraga, on tbe beach; rare. Banks and Solander.
This plant has not been collected since 1769, when Banks and Solander gathered it during Cook’s first voyage.
Root perennial. Stems many, prostrate, smooth, weak, a span or so long, sparingly leafy. Lower leaves two to
three inches long, pinnatifid, on long petioles; pinnules four to six pair, spreading and recurved, bluntly toothed;
upper leaves entire, narrow, cuneate, toothed at the upper broad end. Flowers small, in few-flowered terminal
racemes at tbe ascending ends of tbe branches. Pods ovate, cordate, notched at the end, 14 line long. Pedicels
twice as long as tbe pods, slender.
N a t . O r d . IV. VIOLARIEriE, BC.
Gen. I. VIOLA,
- -J........... insequalia, basi producta. Petala inaequalia; inferius deorsum gibbosum v. in calcar obtusura
productum. Stamina 5, antheris coarctatis, lobis basi divergentibus, 2 anterioribus dorsa calcaratis.
Capsula trígona; valvas 3, elastice contract®, semina ejicientes.
The Violets of New Zealand sufficiently closely resemble then- European congeners to be readily recognized by
those who are famibar with English wild plants. They may be known by their irregular flowers; by the five
sepals being produced into flat expansions below their point of insertion; by one of the five petals being spurred
behind; by tbe anthers being abnost united into a tube, two of them being spurred; and by the three-valved