Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/61

R. lappaceus is probably the most variable of the New Zealand Ranunculi, and certainly the most difficult to characterize. The above arrangement of its forms is mainly that given by Kirk, with the addition of the Tasmanian variety pimpinellifolius, which occurs in several places in the mountains of the South Island. But the student must bear in mind that the distinctions used to separate the so-called varieties are purely arbitrary, every one of them being connected with the others by numerous intermediates. It is often difficult to separate some of the aberrant forms from the allied species, particularly from R. foliosus, when, as sometimes happens, the scape is branched, and the peduncles shorter than the leaves. R. plebeius can generally be distinguished by its greater size, more divided leaves, branched flowering-stem, and reflexed sepals.

24. R. foliosus, T. Kirk, Students Fl. 14.—Stout or slender, 4–12 in. high, more or less hirsute with long soft tawny hairs, especially on the scapes and petioles. Rootstock short, stout. Stems or branches often numerous, erect or decumbent, leafy. Radical leaves numerous, on long petioles 3–6 in. long, with broad sheathing bases; blade ½–1½ in. diam., variable in outline, obovate or ovate or rounded, cuneate or rounded at the base, rarely reniform with a cordate base, coarsely toothed or incised, or 3-lobed with the lobes again toothed or cut, both surfaces covered with long soft appressed hairs. Cauline leaves often opposite, or clustered towards the tops of the stems, like the radical but smaller and on shorter petioles. Peduncles variable, always shorter than the leaves; in large specimens some often spring from among the radical leaves, and are 3–6 in. high; others from the axils of the cauline leaves, and are seldom more than ½–3 in. Flower ⅓–½ in. diam. or more. Sepals 5, oblong, spreading. Petals 5, narrow-oblong, with a gland near the base. Achenes smooth, somewhat turgid, hardly compressed; style short, subulate.

South Island: Nelson—Fowler's Pass, Kirk! near Lake Tennyson, T. F. C. Canterbury—Broken River, T. F. C.; Hopkins River, Haast; Tasman Valley, T. F. C. Westland—Otira Gorge, Cockayne! Teremakau, Petrie. Otago—Mountain valleys of the interior, not uncommon, Petrie! Altitudinal range 1000–4000 ft. December–March.

An exceedingly variable plant, but on the whole readily distinguished by the branched stems and leafy habit, opposite or clustered cauline leaves often with very broad sheathing bases, short stout peduncles which are much shorter than the leaves, and the somewhat turgid or but slightly compressed achenes. Mr. Kirk's type specimens are small and in poor condition, and do not represent the usual state of the species.

25. R. subscaposus, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 5.—Erect or nearly so, 6–18 in. high, more or less covered in all its parts with short rigid appressed fulvous hairs. Rootstock short, stout. Radical leaves on slender petioles 3–6 in. long; blade deltoid-cordate in outline, 1–1½ in. diam., 3-partite to the base; segments cuneate, more or less deeply and irregularly 3–7-toothed or -lobed, lobes acute. Cauline leaves few, similar. Scape or stem shorter or longer than the leaves, 1–3-flowered. Flowers small, ⅓–½ in. diam. Sepals 5, spreading, hispid. Petals 5, narrow-oblong,