File:Plants of New Zealand (1906) (14597471820).jpg

Identifier: plantsofnewzeala1906lain (find matches)
Title: Plants of New Zealand
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Laing, R. M. (Robert Malcolm), b. 1865 Blackwell, E. W. (Ellen W.)
Subjects: Plants
Publisher: Christchurch : Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd.
Contributing Library: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden
Digitizing Sponsor: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden

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es which sometimes measure fifteen inches across.This plant and B. Traversii are the only species with peltateleaves. It is cultivated with difficulty, as it requires thegreatest heat possible during summer, and the most severecold in winter. Other species which have extremely showy flowers are B.Buclianani (Otago lake district), B. Godleyanus (headwaters ofthe Rakaia), B. insignis (southern Nelson, Tararua, andRuahine Mountains), B. nivicola (Mount Egmont). The onlysimilar species known outside of New Zealand, is B. Baurii ofthe Transvaal mountains. Ranunculus crithmifolius (The Samphire-leaved Banuncidus). Similar to the next species, R. Haastii, but with shining green fleshy leaves,and short 1-flowered scapes. Wairau Gorge. Known only from a singlespecimen. The plant descriptions of many of the earlier botanists w^ereoften of necessity very imperfect, and, consequently, laterinvestigators have frequently had much difficulty in identifying BUTTERCUP, ANEMONE, AND CLEMATIS FAMILY 169
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Fig. 49. Raimnculus Lyallii (S iiat. size). 170 PLANTS OP NEW ZEALAND the species to which these descriptions alhide. Sometimesnot a scrap of the original specimens, from which thecharacters have been drawn up, is to be found in herbaria.Under these circumstances, it is a matter of astonislimenthow many of the original species have been identified withcertainty. In spite, however, of all the perseverance andresearch of modern workers, a few of the forms apparentlyknown to the earliest explorers, have not been re-discovered inrecent times. In some cases it is probable that the plant hasbeen redescribed under a fresh name ; in a very few cases, itmay be, that, by some lucky chance, the first collectors founda plant that, on account of its extreme rarity, has never beenseen again. In B,. critlimifolius we have a plant which hasnot been re-identified since first found by Travers on theshingle-slips of the Wairau Gorge. Even then only a singleplant was seen. (cf. Cotula fiUformis, Senecio

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