North Island: Vicinity of Wellington, Kirk! South Island: Canterbury—Southbridge, Kirk! July–September.
Nearest to V. macrocarpa, but separated from it, and from all the large-leaved species, by the almost orbicular capsule rounded at the tip. The leaves are also broader and more obtuse than in any of the forms of V. macrocarpa.
10. V. macrocarpa, Vahl. Symb. Bot. iii. 4.—An erect branching shrub 4–8 ft. high; branchlets rather stout, terete, glabrous. Leaves sessile or very shortly petioled, spreading, 3–6 in. long, ½–1 in. broad, narrow oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, acute, rather coriaceous, dark-green, smooth and glabrous, flat, veins obscure. Eacemes usually rather longer than the leaves, 3–7 in. long, many-flowered, cylindrical, acute, sometimes attenuate at the tip; rhachis and pedicels glabrate or puberulous. Flowers large, white, ¼–⅓ in. diam. or even more. Calyx 4-partite; segments oblong, obtuse, ciliolate. Corolla-tube broad, about twice as long as the calyx; limb 4-lobed; lobes oblong, obtuse. Stamens very long, far-exserted. Capsule large, ¼–⅓ in. long, ovate, compressed, acute, three times as long as the calyx.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 376; Raoul, Choix, 43; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 192; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 207; Armstr. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 351; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 529.
Var. latisepala, Cheesem.—Habit and foliage of the type, but racemes usually shorter than the leaves; flowers and capsules often secund. Calyx-segments rather broader. Flowers deep-violet.—V. latisepala, Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 530.
Var. affinis, Cheesem.—Leaves smaller, 2–4 in. long. Racemes shorter, 3–5 in.; flowers smaller, white. Capsules ⅕–¼ in., twice as long as the calyx. Apparently a passage-form into V. salicifolia.
Var. crassifolia, Cheesem.—Leaves smaller and narrower, 2–3 in. long by ¼–⅓ in. broad, linear-lanceolate, very thick and coriaceous, rigid when dry. Racemes equalling the leaves or longer than them, glabrate. Flowers not seen. Calyx-segments oblong-ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute or subacute. Capsule ⅕–¼ in., ovate, acute, twice as long as the calyx. Perhaps a distinct species.
North Island: From Hokianga and Mongonui southwards to Poverty Bay and Taranaki, not uncommon. South Island: Queen Charlotte Sound, Banks and Solander. Var. latisepala: Great and Little Barrier Islands, Whangarei Heads, Kirk! T.F.C. Var. crassifolia: Nelson, between Karamea and Westport, W. Townson! Sea-level to 4000 ft. August–November.
The typical state of this, with large somewhat coriaceous leaves, long racemes of large white flowers, and very large acute capsules, is a most striking plant, and can be recognised at a glance. But there are many intermediates between it and V. salicifolia which are difficult to place, and the one which I have called var. affinis might be referred to either species. Mr. Kirk's V. latisepala, which I have had repeated opportunities of studying at the Little Barrier Island, does not differ from the type except in the violet flowers and shorter often secund racemes, and is best treated as a variety. Mr. Townson's plant from Karamea, which I have called var. crassifolia, differs markedly in the smaller and narrower much more coriaceous and rigid leaves, and in the acute calyx-segments, and may prove to be a separate species.
