Page:Manual of the New Zealand Flora.djvu/49

Ranunuculus.]

1. R. Lyallii, ''Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl.'' 4.—A tall, erect, exceedingly handsome plant, with a paniculately branched flowering-stem 1–4 ft. in height. Rootstock stout, with long fleshy roots. Radical leaves on long stout petioles with broad silky sheathing bases; limb 6–15 in. diam., orbicular, peltate, concave, crenate, coriaceous, glabrous or with a few weak hairs. Cauline leaves few, sessile, lower reniform, upper cuneate-rhomboid or oblong-cuneate, lobed and crenate. Leaves of young plants not peltate, reniform to rhomboid, cuneate at the base. Peduncles stout, villous, with 1–2 linear bracts. Flowers numerous, 2–3 in. diam., white, more rarely cream-coloured. Sepals 5, broad, villous. Petals usually numerous, cuneate-obovate, with an obscure gland at the base. Stamens many, short; anthers oblong. Receptacle oblong, cylindrical, hairy. Ripe achenes forming a head ¾ in. diam., oblique, turgid, villous, narrowed into long slender flexuous styles.—''Bot. Mag. t. 6888; Kirk, Students' Fl.'' 7.

Var. Traversii.—Smaller. Leaves 5–7 in. diam., doubly crenate, and with two incisions near the base. Flowers cream-coloured.—R. Traversii, ''Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 4; Kirk, Students' Fl.'' 7.


 * Abundant in the central and western portions of the Southern Alps, from the Spenser Mountains to the south of Otago. : Mount Anglem, Kirk. Altitudinal range from 2000 to 5000 ft. November–January. Var. Traversii: Hurunui Mountains, Canterbury, Travers.