scapes, 2–6 in. high. Rootstock short, rather stout, with numerous fibrous rootlets. Leaves many, all radical, 1–5 in. long, membranous, rarely subcoriaceous; petioles slender, sheathing at the base; blade linear-oblong in outUne, pinnately divided; primary pinnæ 2–6 pairs, entire, 3-lobed, 3-partite, or again pinnate; ultimate segments oblong, cuneate at the base, acute or subacute. Scapes 1–3, longer than the leaves, naked, slender, pilose, 1-flowered. Flower ½–¾ in. diam. Sepals 5, oblong, silky. Petals 5, linear-obovate, rounded at the tip, with a single gland near the base. Ripe achenes not seen.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 12.
South Island: Canterbury—Mount Dobson, and Mount Cook district, T. F. C.; Lake Ohau, Haast, Buchanan! Otago—Buchanan! Dunstan Mountains, Mounts Ida, Pisa, Kyeburn, Petrie! Humboldt Mountains, Cockayne! Stewart Island: G. M. Thomson! Altitudinal range 2500–5000 ft., but descending almost to sea-level in Stewart Island. December–January.
An exceedingly variable species, only to be distinguished from R. Sinclairii by the narrower outline of the leaves, the more numerous shorter pinnæ, which are usually much less divided, and in small specimens often nearly entire, and by the broader ultimate segments. Many specimens are quite intermediate, and might be referred to either species. I can entertain no doubt that both are forms of one variable plant. I have never seen specimens perfectly glabrous, as described by Hooker in the Handbook, and the roots are certainly not creeping.
20. R. hirtus, Banks and Sol. ex Forst. Prodr. n. 525.—Stout or slender, erect or rarely decumbent, more or less branched, 6–24 in. high, usually clothed with soft spreading or rarely appressed hairs. Radical leaves numerous, on petioles 1–3 in. long, 3-foliolate; leaflets usually stalked, oblong to broadly ovate, rounded or cuneate at the base, coarsely and irregularly toothed or 3–5-lobed, or again 3-partite. Flowering-stems usually branched, with several cauline leaves, the lower of which are similar to the radical, the upper smaller, more sessile, and less cut or entire. Flowers small, seldom more than ½ in. diam. Sepals 5, oblong, reflexed, fugacious, shorter than the petals. Petals 5, obovate, with a single gland near the base. Achenes forming a small rounded head, glabrous, compressed, margined; style short, hooked.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 634; Raoul, Choix de Plantes, 47; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 9; Kirk, Students' Fl. 14. R. plebeius, R. Br. ex D. C. Syst. i. 288; Hook. f. Handb. N. Z. Fl. 7; Benth. Fl. Austral. i. 13. R. acris, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 289 (non Linn.).
A very variable plant. The typical state can be recognised by the copious soft spreading hairs, sparingly branched stem, and trifoliolate leaves with broad coarsely toothed or lobed segments. Mr. Kirk's var. robustus (Students' Fl. 14) is simply a large state with the stem more copiously branched and the achenes slightly larger, and passes imperceptibly into the usual form. Var. membranifolius (Kirk, l.c.) recedes in the opposite direction by its reduced size, more slender stems, thin 3-lobed leaves, and smaller flowers. The following varieties are more distinct:—
