South Island: Bare shingle slopes on the mountains, not uncommon from the south of Nelson (Wairau Valley) to Central Otago. Altitudinal range 3000–6000 ft. December–January.
A very singular plant, quite unlike any other. I do not find that Otago specimens have their leaves less divided than those from Canterbury and Nelson, as stated by Kirk in "The Students' Flora."
12. R. crithmifolius, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 6.—Small, perfectly glabrous, very fleshy, glaucous, stemless; rootstock short, stout, horizontal, with thick fleshy fibres. Leaves all radical, on recurved petioles 1–2 in. long; blade broad, ½–1 in. diam., reniform in outline, biternately multifid; segments short, linear, 110 in. long, obtuse. Scape stout, fleshy, erect, shorter than the leaves, single-flowered. Flowers small. Sepals linear-oblong. Petals not seen. Achenes in a globose head, ⅓ in. diam., turgid, keeled; style sharp, straight, subulate.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 11.
South Island; Wairau Gorge, on shingle-slips, alt. 6000 ft., Travers.
A curious little plant, which has not been collected since its original discovery nearly forty years ago. There are no specimens in any of the New Zealand herbaria, and I have consequently reproduced Hooker's description. He remarks that it is easily recognised by its glaucous fleshy habit, finely divided leaves, and single-flowered short scapes.
13. R. chordorhizos, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 723.—Small, stout, fleshy and coriaceous, 2–3 in. high, everywhere perfectly glabrous. Rootstock short, thick, with numerous long fleshy rootlets. Leaves all radical; petioles stout, 1–2 in. long, with broad thin sheathing bases; blade ¾–1½ in. diam., orbicular in outline, 3-lobed or 3-partite to the base, segments obovate-spathulate or cuneate, sometimes petiolulate, inciso-crenate or again lobed; upper surface pitted or wrinkled when dry. Scapes usually solitary but sometimes 2–3, short, not exceeding the petioles, naked, 1-flowered. Flower ½–1 in. diam. Sepals 5, narrow-oblong. Petals 5–6, nearly twice as long as the sepals, narrow linear-oblong, with 1–3 glandular pits near the base. Achenes forming a small globose head, rounded, turgid, glabrous; style as long as the achene, curved, subulate.—Kirk, Students' Fl. 10.
South Island: Canterbury—Macaulay Kiver and Mount Somers, Haast (Handbook); Lake Ohau, Buchanan! Otago—Mount Kyeburn and Mount St. Bathan's, Petrie! Altitudinal range 3000–5000 ft. December–January.
Hooker based his R. chordorhizos upon specimens collected by Haast at the Macaulay River and Mount Somers, and also included a plant obtained on limestone gravel in the Waimakariri district. Kirk considered the Waimakariri plant to be distinct from the others, and has established the next species (R. paucifolius) upon it. The Macaulay River plant he assumed to be the same as Buchanan's and Petrie's, quoted above. Whether this view is correct can only be determined by examination of the types at Kew.
14. R. paucifolius, T. Kirk, Students' Fl. 11.—Small, stout, coriaceous, 2–4 in. high, perfectly glabrous. Rootstock short, stout,
