Var. conspicua, Kirk, l.c.— Leaf -segments not so rigid, with a broad orange or red midrib. Bracts bright-orange, often pinnately divided.

Var. maxima, Kirk, l.c. —Taller and stouter. Stem 4–10 ft. high, 2–4 in. diam. at the base. Leaves 1½–5 ft. long; segments ¾ in. broad or even more, still more rigid and pungent. Peduncles and pedicels longer. Fruit larger, ⅖ in. long.

North and South Islands: Common in mountain districts from the East Cape to Southland; most abundant between 1000–3000 ft., but ascending to nearly 5000 ft., and occasionally coming down to sea-level. Var. conspicua: North Island: Locality not stated, Herb. Colenso! Ruahine Mountains W. F. Howlett! South Island: Wangapeka, Kingsley; Mount Murchison, Townsoni! Upper Waimakariri, Cockayne! T. F. C. Var. maxima: Mountain districts from Nelson to Otago, not uncommon. Taramea; Spaniard. December–January.

By far the finest species of the genus; easily distinguished from all others by the large size and broad leaf-segments. The two varieties described above have a very distinct appearance, but the differences are hardly of specific value.

North and South Islands: Abundant from the East Cape southwards especially in mountain districts. Sea-level to 3500 ft. Taramea; Kurikuri; Spear-grass. November–January.

The very narrow leaflets and numerous bracts with long and narrow spinous segments, the middle one of which is sharply refracted, easily distinguish this from all the forms of A. Colensoi. Both species yield an aromatic gum resin, which was formerly used by the Maoris as a masticatory.

Chatham Islands: H. H. Travers, Captain G Mair, F. A. D. Cox! Taramea. November–December.

Closely allied to A. Colensoi, from which it principally differs in the less rigid and transversely jointed leaf-segments, thinner and scarcely pungent bracts, and narrower fruit.

South Island: Nelson—Mountains near the source of the Heaphy River, Dall! Mount Faraday and Mount Buckland (near Westport), W. Townson! 2500–4500 ft. December–February.

A very singular and distinct species. It can be recognised at once by the short flat almost squarrose leaf-segments.

Var. crenulata.—Rather taller, much less rigid and coriaceous. Leaves sometimes almost flaccid; margins serrulate; midrib often bright-red. Inflorescence more open, with longer and more leafy bracts. Carpels 4-winged, or one 3-winged.—A. crenulata, Armstr. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 336; Kirk, Students' Fl. 208.

South Island: Otago—Hector's Col, near Mount Aspiring, Buchanan; Mount Kyeburn, H. J. Matthews! 4000–5000 ft. January–February.

Mr. Kirk reduced this to A. Lyallii in the "Students' Flora," but it differs from that species in the trifoliolate leaves, and in the leaflets at the top of the leaf-sheath being almost as long as the leaves proper, whereas they do not reach the base of the lowest pinnule in A. Lyallii. It is much nearer to A. Traillii, which may be a depauperated state of it.

South Island: Otago—Mount Ida and Mount Kyeburn, Petrie! Stewart Island: Mounts Anglem and Rakiahua, Kirk! Goyen! 2000–3500 ft. December–January.

Not far removed from A. Lyallii, but smaller in all its parts, and with the leaves simple or 3-foliolate, rarely pinnate. Still more closely allied to A. Hectori.

South Island: Otago—Mount Alta, Buchanan! Hector Mountains, hill near Mount Aspiring, Petrie! 5000–6000 ft. January.

A very remarkable plant, of which more complete specimens are required to draw up a good description. My only knowledge of the male flowers is derived from Mr. Buchanan's plate.

South Island: Abundant in mountain districts throughout. 3000-•6500 ft. December–January.

A variable plant. The leaves are sometimes uniformly 1-pinnate with rather broad leaflets, at other times 2-pinnate at the base with narrower leaflets. The female umbels are usually paniculate, but occasionally the panicle is somewhat contracted, showing an approach to that of A. Lyallii.

South Island: Nelson—Mount Duppa, Macmahon! Ben Nevis, Mount Starveall, and Mount Luna, Gibbs, Bryant, Kingsley; Mount Arthur Plateau and Mount Peel, T. F. C.; Mount Lockett, Gibbs! 4000–5500 ft. December–January.

Very closely allied to A. Monroi, but much more slender, and with less coriaceous almost membranous leaves, which are much more finely divided, the segments being sometimes nearly capillary. Mr. Kirk referred it to Ligusticum in the "Students' Flora," but it must certainly remain in the neighbourhood of A. Monroi.

South Island: On shingle-slopes, rare. Canterbury — Mount Dobson, Dobson and Haast, T. F. C.; mountains above Lake Ohau, Buchanan! Otago —Near Lake Hawea, Haast; Mount Sc. Bathans, Petrie! 5000–6500 ft.

A most remarkable plant, nowhere plentiful, and seldom seen in flower or fruit.

South Island: Otago — Mounts Pisa and Cardrona, and the Hector Mountains, Petrie! 5000–6000 ft. February.

A. Dieffenbachii, Kirk, Students' Fl. 211.— Stem stout, erect, 2–3 ft. high, 1–1½ in. diam. at the base, grooved. Leaves all radical, 1–2 ft. long, 4–8 in. broad, flaccid, greyish-green, 3–4-pinnate; petiole usually more than half the length, sheath with two blunt lobes at the top; blade oblong or ovate-oblong in outline; primary pinnæ 4–5 pairs; segments 1½–3 in. long, 1/10 in. broad, linear, flat, striate, mucronate. Inflorescence broad, loosely paniculate, of numerous pedunculate compound umbels. Bracts with a broad sheath and rather large pinnatisect lamina. Peduncles 2–5 in. long; rays of the male umbels numerous, slender, of the females about 6; involucral bracts few, linear-subulate. Fruit large, ⅝ in. long, ⅜ in. broad, broadly oblong, much dorsally compressed; carpels one 3-winged and the other 2-winged, rarely both 3-winged. Vittæ 1 in each interspace and 2 on the commissural face. — Ligusticum Dieffenbachii, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 729. Gingidium Dieffenbachii, F. Muell. Veg. Chath. Is. 17, t. 1.

Chatham Islands: Rare, H. H. Travers! F. A. D. Cox!

The fruit of this is quite unlike that of Aciphylla, Ligusticum, or Angelica, to all of which genera it has been referred. Mr. Kirk is probably correct in considering that it will ultimately form the type of a new genus.