Two new Polypodia from Ntw Zealand 



By Benjamin D. Gilbert 



. When the Transit-of- Venus expedition was sent to New Zea- 

 land, in 1874-, the party landed at Dunedin, on the southeast 

 coast of the middle island. But the fogs of that part of the island 

 obscured the sky too much to suit an astronomer and after inves- 

 tigation it was decided to go inland about lOQ miles to a place 

 called Queenstown, on or near Waikatipu Lake, where the land 

 was much higrher and focrs did not exist. 



fc>"^* c...va .^^ 



Dr. C. H, F. Peters, who was the astronomer-in-chief, had 

 promised me before leaving home that he w^ould procure for me 

 such ferns as lie might be able to find. While his temporary ob- 

 servatory was being built he took many walks about the adjacent 

 country; and during these rambles he picked up a considerable 

 number of species that were really desirable. Among the Lo- 

 Dianas that abound there he secured Z. vukanica, Z. alpina, L, 



/' 



proccra^ and one of its 



most interesting varieties, Z. iinbricata. He brought two fine 

 species of the beautiful Todea as well as endemic species of Cyathca, 

 Hyniowphyllnni^ TricJioviajics^ Glcichcnia^ Dryoptcris and Polypo- 

 dmuL In this last genus there were specimens of a fern which 

 Dr. Hooker does not give in his Flora of New Zealand and which 

 has seldom been found in the southern hemisphere, viz., Polypo- 

 diuni vulgare. There is enough peculiarit)^ about it to constitute 

 a distinct variety, but if all the forms from different parts of the 

 world that have been placed under this species really belong there, 

 then this form also must be included. 



There was also another Polypod allied to this, but so distinct 

 that, after having it under occasional observation for 25 years, I 

 have decided to describe it as an entirely new species. The de- 

 scription is as follows : 



Polypodium viride sp. nov. 



Rhizome the size of small w^hip cord, the growing end densely 

 clothed with bright brown narrow-lanceolate scales, their filiform 



(310) 



