clothed with white appressed tomentum, becoming fulvous or red when dry, veins evident on both surfaces; petiole ½–2 in. long, stout. Peduncles 1-5 at the ends of the branches, 4–12 in. long, stout, evenly tomentose, naked or with a few foliaceous bracts immediately below the head. Head large, hemispherical, 2–3 in. diam.; involucral scales imbricated in many series, tomentose. Ray-florets very numerous; ligules narrow, white. Disc-florets yellow. Pappus of one series of equal scabrid hairs thickened at the tips. Achenes long and slender, silky.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 125; Bot. Mag. t. 7034; Kirk, Students' Fl. 266. O. marginata, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv. (1883) 321.
South Island: Marlborough, from Blenheim southwards to the Conway and Mason Rivers. Sea-level to 4000 ft. December–January.
A very handsome and remarkable plant, quite unlike any other species. It departs widely from the typical Olearias in the large broadly ovoid involucre with the bracts in very many series, and in the pappus of perfectly equal hairs.
2. O. semidentata, Dcne. ex Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 115.—A small sparingly branched shrub 1–3 ft. high; branches slender, straggling, more or less clothed with white floccose tomentum. Leaves numerous, close-set, ascending or spreading, 1½–2½ in. long, ¼–⅓ in. broad, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, gradually narrowed to a sessile base, somewhat distantly serrate towards the tip, glabrous above or slightly cottony when young, white with appressed floccose tomentum beneath. Peduncles crowded towards the tips of the branches, slender, tomentose, equalling or exceeding the leaves, clothed with numerous small lanceolate bracts. Heads solitary, 1–1¼ in. diam.; involucral scales in about 3 series, acute, cobwebby at the tips. Ray-florets ligulate, purple; disc-florets violet-purple. Achenes linear, grooved, slightly pubescent.—Hook. f. Handh. N.Z. Fl. 124; Buch. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. vii. (1875) 336, t. xiv.; Kirk, Students' Fl. 264. Eurybia semidentata, F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 21.
Chatham Islands: Abundant in moist places, near the margin of woods, &c. Hangatare. November–December.
A beautiful little plant, easily recognised by its small size, narrow leaves, slender peduncles, and purple flowers. I am indebted to Mr. Cockayne for a very interesting series of specimens showing the range of variation in the size and shape of the leaves. See his paper on "The Plant-covering of Chatham Island," Trans. N.Z. Inst, xxxiv. 288, for some remarks on the subject.
3. O. chathamica, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. (1891) 444.—A rather stout branching shrub 3–6 ft. high; branches, leaves beneath, and peduncles densely clothed with soft white tomentum. Leaves 1–3 in. long, ½–1½ in. broad, very variable in shape, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate to oblong-ovate or oblong-obovate, acute, narrowed into a short broad petiole, very thick and coriaceous, closely serrate with short blunt callous teeth; midrib and chief veins usually visible beneath. Peduncles few at the tips
