16S FLORA ANTARCTICA. [Auckland and 



Hab. Lord Auckland's group ; at the roots of trees, ferns, &c, growing amongst other Hepatica and 

 mosses. 



Caspites parvi, procuinbentes, argentei, inter muscos dispersi. Frondes rigidiusculae, 2-3 lin. longae, simplicius- 

 culae, gracillima;, compressa? v. complanatse, e cellulis majusculis hexagonis nemun vakdum ineludentibus formats, niar- 

 ginibus e cellulis irregulariter prominentibus sinuato-repandis, rarius bine inde in lobos expansis, nervo centrali ^"iridi 

 valido. Rami pauci, patentes, simplices v. rarius furcati. Calyces pro magnitudine plants maximi, e nervo centrali 

 ipso orti, breviter peclicellati, urceolati v. campanulati, laxe cellidosi, in lacinias plurimas magis articulatas minusve 

 profunde fissi, basi squarois paucis (periehastio) muniti. 



A verj' singular plant, closely allied to none in the Order Hepatica ; it forms pale silvery patches at the roots 

 of ferns, &c., in the woods, but has only been found fruiting in New Zealand, where, as in Tasmania also, it is pro- 

 bably abundant. In the specimens from Lord Auckland's group the fronds are hardly sinuated at the margins and 

 often formed of only one or two series of cells surrounding the axis ; in those from more Northern Latitudes other 

 series of cells are superadded, the fronds are more compressed, and their margins so sinuated from the irregularly 

 placed cells as to resemble the rudiments of leaves. Though the walls of the cells are exceedingly delicate, the whole 

 plant is of a rigid texture, and very slowly recovers itself when moistened ; this somewhat horny consistency of the 

 frond, resembling some Serttrlaria, has suggested to us the generic name. The drawing was made before the fructi- 

 fication was observed, by Mr. Wilson, upon the New Zealand specimens. 



Plate LXYI. Fig. VI. — 1, a small tuft of the natural size ; 2, a frond ; 3, a section of the same, very highly 

 magnified. 



2. HYGEOPLLA, Tayl. 



1. Hygropila dllatata, Hook. fil. et Tayl. in Hook. Lond. Journ. of 'Sot. vol. iii. p. 576. 



Hab. Lord Auckland's group ; on the ground in damp woods. 



This is one of the numerous frondose Hepatica which cover the ground so abundantly in the humid regions of 

 the South ; they evidently belong to many species, but having never been found in fructification, it is exceedingly 

 difficult to distinguish the species by the form and texture of then variable fronds, and still more to determine the 

 genera to which they belong. The present, of which our specimens are but imperfect, seems identical with a very 

 common New Zealand plant, which abounds in moist places, and especially near cataracts. 



3. MAECHANTIA, March. 

 1. Marchaxtia polt/morpha, L. 



Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; abundant. 

 A plant universally distributed throughout the Southern Hemisphere. 



4. AXTHOCEEOS, Michel. 

 1. A>thoceros punctatus, L.? 



Hab. Campbell's Island ; on the wet ground. 



We are not assured of the identity of this plant with the European A. pimctatus, L., the specimens being very 

 imperfect. 



Di'i/i generis. 

 Eiccia? cochleata, Hook. fil. et Tayl., in Hook. Lond. Journ. of Sot. vol. iv. p. 96. (Tab. LVI. Fig. V.) 



