North Island: Auckland—Lake Tongonge, near Ahipara, R. H. Matthews! Lake Waihi, Waikato, Kirk! T.F.C.; Bay of Plenty, Colenso.
I have taken the description of the inflorescence, &c., from the Handbook, the plant occurring in Lakes Waihi and Tongonge not being known in a flowering state. It may not be identical with Hooker's U. protrusa, the type specimens of which have been unfortunately lost.
2. U. Mairii, Cheesem. n. sp.—Stems floating in still water, sparingly branched, 2–6 in. long, stouter than m the preceding species. Leaves numerous, all submerged, spreading, about ¼ in. long, pinnately divided into numerous capillary segments; segments broader than in U. protrusa; bladders numerous, about 110 in. long, attached to the segments. Flowers not seen.
North Island: Auckland—Lake Rotomahana, Kirk and Captain G. Mair! (1872).
This is certainly distinct from the Lake Waihi and Lake Tongonge plant, which has stems several feet in length, and the branches of which, with the spreading leaves, are from 1½–3 in. across. In U. Mairii the stems are much shorter and stouter, and the branches with the leaves on are only about ½ in. across. Which of the two plants corresponds to Hooker's U. protrusa can only be determined when flowering specimens are obtained. U. Mairii was destroyed in the Rotomahana locality by the eruption of 1886, but it probably occurs in some of the lakes in the Rotorua district.
3. U. novæ-zealandiæ, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 206.—Stemless. Roots slender, creeping, bearing numerous shortly pedicelled bladders about ⅛ in. diam. when fully grown. Leaves 1–3, all radical, often disappearing at the time of flowering, ¼–¾ in. long, rarely more, very narrow-linear or linear-spathulate, quite entire, rather fleshy, 1-nerved. Scape or peduncle very slender, variable in length, 3–9 in. high or more, simple, erect, 1–4-flowered; bracts small, opposite or in threes. Flowers shortly pedieelled, ¼–⅓ in. long, pale-purple with a yellow eye. Upper calyx-segment orbicular or nearly so, rounded or slightly retuse at the tip; lower rather smaller, concave, 2-lobed. Upper lip of the corolla much the smaller, narrow cuneate-oblong, constricted below the middle, truncate or nearly so at the tip; lower lip with a broad horizontal almost semicircular lamina about ⅓ in. diam., margin entire; palate with three raised ridges, each with a central groove; spur short, broad, obtuse. Capsule membranous, globose, ⅙ in. diam.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 222. U. subsimilis, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvi. (1884) 334.
North Island: Auckland—Lake Ohia (near Mongonui), T.F.C; Great Barrier Island, Kirk! near Helensville, W. T. Ball! near Waiuku, H. Carse! Waihi, Petrie! Lake Taupo, A. Hamilton! Taranaki—Ngaire Swamp, T.F.C. Wellington—Palliser Bay, Colenso. South Island: Canterbury Plains, Armstrong. November–January.
Probably not uncommon in peaty swamps throughout the North Island, but easily overlooked.
