Armstrong's V. monticola, which is a larger plant, with larger laxer foliage, and longer always simple racemes. Others correspond with the V. Cockayniana of this work, which has flatter and more obtuse glaucous leaves, black when dry, simple very pubescent racemes, and larger flowers. States of V. Traversii, with more closely placed leaves than usual, have also had the name of V. lævis applied to them.
27. V. elliptica, Forst. Prodr. n. 10.—A copiously branched shrub or small tree 5–20 ft. high; branches terete, ringed v?ith the scars of the fallen leaves, the younger ones more or less hoary with short soft white hairs, which are often arranged in two opposite lines. Leaves petiolate, close-set, horizontally spreading, uniform, ½–1¼ in. long, ¼–½ in. broad, elliptic-oblong or obovate-oblong, apiculate, slightly truncate at the base, pale-green, coriaceous, nerveless, margins edged with a white pubescent line, midrib prominent beneath; petioles short, erect and appressed to the branch. Racemes numerous near the tips of the branches, short, 1–1½ in. long, erect, glabrous or nearly so, laxly 4–12-flowered; pedicels slender, each with a small lanceolate bract at the base. Flowers large, ⅓–⅔ in. diam., white or white with purple lines, sweet-scented. Calyx ⅛–⅙ in. long, 4-partite; segments ovate, acute or acuminate. Corolla-tube slightly longer than the calyx; limb large, 4-lobed; lobes spreading, ovate. Capsule ¼ in. long, broadly ovate, acute, twice as long as the calyx.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 189; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 379; Raoul, Choix, 43; Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 58; Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 193; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 209; Armstr. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 351; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. 526. V. decussata, Ait. Hort. Kew, i. 20; Bot. Mag. t. 242.
Var. odora, Cheesem.—Smaller, 2–4 ft. high, sparingly fastigiately branched. Leaves smaller and more closely placed, horizontally spreading, ½–⅔ in. long, about ¼ in. broad, elliptic-ovate, rigid, somewhat concave. Flowers large, white, ⅓ in. diam., very sweet-scented. Calyx-segments obtuse.—V. odora, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 62, t. 41.
South Island: Western coast from West Wanganui and Cape Foulwind southwards; east and southern coasts of Otago. Chatham Islands: H. H. Travers! Capt. G. Mair! Stewart Island: Not uncommon on the coast, also on the islands in Foveaux Strait and on The Snares. Auckland and Campbell Islands: Abundant. Var. odora: Auckland Islands, in woods near the sea, not uncommon, Sir J. D. Hooker. December–January.
A most distinct species, easily recognised by the pale-green elliptic apiculate petiolate leaves, and very large white flowers. It is also a native of the Falkland Islands, Fuegia, and South Chili. I have ventured to refer to it the V. odora of Hook, f., a platit which is only known by the description and plate in the "Flora Antarctica." In the Handbook Hooker reduced it to V. buxifolia, a view which was also adopted by Kirk (Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. 524). But judging from the description and plate, for I have seen no authentic specimens, it cannot possibly be placed with that plant, which differs altogether in habit, in the smaller densely imbricated shining leaves, in the shorter racemes with large concave bracts, and in the smaller flowers, which I have never
