140 MR. Н. N. DIXON ON SOME 
variable, have a distinetly narrower nerve, less than half the width of the leaf, 
and are quite without the supra-alar region of narrow marginal cells, the upper 
areolation gradually and uniformly enlarging downwards, often becoming 
rectangular but sometimes remaining in part oblique to the very base. They 
may quite probably represent В. Brown's plant, but without a closer com- 
parison with the original specimen in Herb. Schwaegr. than I have been able 
to make I do not feel equal to pronouncing a decided opinion. 
The Waitakarei plant differs at once, and I think crucially, from these in 
the supra-alar areolation as referred to above, while it differs from the figure (3) 
in Schwaegrichen in the distinctly narrower nerve, which is constantly less 
than half the width of the leaf (3 to 2). There is generally a small patch of 
coloured basal cells, reaching to the nerve and slightly enlarged, but not 
forming distinct auricles. For these reasons I was inclined to regard it as 
a species probably distinct from the above-mentioned ones (Dr. Brotherus 
writes: “ C. elavato affinis sed reticulatione basilari diversa. An n. sp.?”). 
But from the deseription and figures it appeared to be in all probability 
C. insititius, Hook. f. & Wils., a conclusion afterwards confirmed. 
CaurvLoPUS mNsITITIUS, Hook. f. & Wils. — Waitakarei Hills (Murray, 
Nos. 8, 32). 
Т have compared this plant with C. insititius in Wilson's Herbarium, and 
find it to agree quite well with plants labelled “Tasmania, Oldfield,” and 
“Tasmania, Stuart.” It is new to New Zealand. Mitten appears to have 
doubted the distinctness of this species from С. claratus (В. Br.), and there 
has indeed been considerable confusion concerning (^. claratus and its allies.. 
This has often, no doubt, and certainly in some сахех, arisen from misunder- 
standing as to what Brown’s plant actually was, and it has seemed desirable 
to obtain information which would clear up some of the difficulties. I am 
indebted to the authorities of the Herb. Boissier. through the good offices 
of Dr. J. Briquet, for kindly sending me the original of Brown's plant. from 
Duby's Herbarium. The specimens in that herbarium are two: one, of which 
the original label in Schwaegrichen’s handwriting was ** Dieranum clavatum. 
R. Br., Suppl. 3, 2; Van Diemen Land” (“seripsit Schwaegrichen qui ex 
Gaudichaud habuit " teste Dr. Colomb-Duplan) : the other labelled = New 
Holland” (as I understand, collected by Sieber). These two plants undoubtedly 
represent two different species, and clearly the former (the Van Diemen's 
Land plant) is to be taken as the type of В. Brown's species. The Australian 
plant shows a distinct area of hyaline supra-basal cells, with a wide border of 
extremely thin-walled, elongate, hyaline cells running obliquely outwards 
and 
upwards (as т C. tintroflerus), with seareel 
| 
у any distinct alar cells. The 
specimens are too fragmentary to give much idea of the habit, except that it is 
