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522 respects from Armstrong's original description. Kirk's V. obovata only differs in the more truly obovate leaves, and I have little doubt that it will ultimately be merged with that species.

36. V. Cockayniana, Cheesem. n. sp.—A small densely branched shrub 2–4 ft. high; branches rather stout, densely leafy above, conspicuously marked with the scars of the fallen leaves below; younger ones more or less bifariously pubescent. Leaves close-set, decussate, suberect or spreading, shortly petiolate, uniform in size and shape, ⅓–⅔ in. long, ¼–⅓ in. broad, oblong or elliptic-oblong or obovate-oblong, obtuse, flat or slightly concave, thick and coriaceous, often black on the upper surface when dry, glaucous beneath; midrib puberulous above, thick and prominent beneath; margins entire. Racemes 2–4 near the tips of the branches, rather longer than the leaves, ½–1 in. long, simple, usually lax-flowered; rhachis, pedicels, and bracts pubescent. Flowers white, ¼–⅓ in. diam. Calyx deeply 4-partite; segments ovate-oblong, obtuse; margins pale, membranous, ciholate. Corolla-tube short and broad, equalling the calyx or slightly longer; limb 4-lobed; lobes longer than the tube, broad, rounded, veined. Capsule ¼ in. long, ovate, acute, twice as long as the calyx.

37. V. buxifolia, Benth. in D.C. Prodr. x. 462.—A stout erect much or sparingly branched perfectly glabrous shrub 1–5 ft. high; branches strict, densely leafy, below closely ringed with the scars of the fallen leaves. Leaves closely imbricate, ⅙–⅓ in. long, ⅛–¼ in. broad, broadly oblong-obovate, obtuse or subacute, suddenly truncate or cordate above the very short thick petiole, concave, keeled by the prominent midrib, rigid, very coriaceous, dark-green and polished above, paler and usually minutely dotted beneath, quite glabrous, entire. Spikes in the axils of the upper leaves, ¼–1 in. long, dense-flowered, often very numerous and crowded, forming a corymbose head to the branches; rhachis puberulous; bracts large, ovate, concave, coriaceous, equalling the calyx or sometimes exceeding it. Flowers sessile, white, ¼–⅓ in. diam. Calyx 4-partite; segments coriaceous, oblong, obtuse, ciliolate. Corolla-tube equalling the calyx or rather longer than it; limb 4-lobed; dorsal and lateral lobes broad, rounded; anticous narrower and subacute. Capsule broadly oblong, obtuse, compressed, almost twice as long as the calyx.—''Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 194; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 210; Armstr. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. (1881) 350; Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst.'' xxviii. (1896) 523.