Cockayne. — Botanical Excursion to Southern Islands. 291 



hollows, are large quantities of Gentiana antipoda, numerous 

 fruticose lichens of various species, Coprosma repens, Accena, 

 Luzula crinita, many fine foliaceous lichens, and large patches 

 of the filmy fern, this latter sometimes 8 cm. tall." " Here 

 is tussock growing, mixed with Asjndium vestitum and Luzula 

 crinita. In the hollow neat" by are mosses, lichens, hepaticas, 

 Accena, Pratia arenaria, and Lomaria alpina." " Here is a 

 large plant of Ligusticum antipodum not nearly so tall as 

 the tussock, and so in partial shelter. On one side of this 

 two tussocks, on the other side one half-dead tussock with 

 lichens and L^iziila and Hyvienophyllum growing on its trunk 

 and Aspidiian growing through it, while the neighbouring 

 hollow is filled with Hymenophyllum and lichens growing 

 together. In parts of the meadow the tussock and Aspidium 

 become much smaller or are almost altogether absent, and 

 here Lomaria procera takes its place, its arching fronds al- 

 most parallel to the ground, raised but a few inches above 

 its surface, their pinnae bent a little upwards, the surface of 

 the frond thus becoming semi-horizontal. 



The summer aspect of the meadow must be very different 

 from that described above. The tender green of the two 

 abundant ferns, Pteris mcisa and Hypolepis millefolium, will 

 then add a feature quite wanting in winter, while the differ- 

 ence will be still more marked when the great umbels of 

 Ligusticum antipodum are in full bloom. 



The only endemic plant to be dealt with here is Gentiana 

 antipoda. This has a short root-stock + 5 mm. in diameter, 

 which is usually at first decumbent, but finally erect for 

 + 7 mm. ; from this pass decumbent branches, except at 

 apex, + 2-7 cm. x 2*5 mm. in diameter, closely covered with 

 leaves, except near base. The leaves are vertical in their 

 lower but spreading somewhat in their apical half. The 

 vertical part and back of leaf is pale yellowish-green, but the 

 more spreading part is bright-green. They are ± 5'4 cm. 

 X +8-5 mm., slightly fleshy, and linear-spathulate or ligu- 

 late in shape. The margins are slightly recurved ; the upper 

 green part of the leaf is flat atid the lower pale part is 

 channelled. The root is of considerable length, and runs 

 more or less horizontally in the soil. A seedling plant 

 1-35 cm. tall had a root l-Q cm. long. 



A cross-section of a leaf shows a strong cuticle furnished 

 with conical protruberances equalling the thickness of the 

 cuticle. There is a palisade 5 or 6 cells deep of rather short, 

 broad, rounded, oblong cells about Ih times as long as broad. 

 The spongy parenchyma is loose, having many intercellular 

 spaces. Kirk (69, p. 341) describes two forms of this species 

 under the names ptallida and rubra. The former is stated to 

 have yellow stems and white flowers, and the latter red stems 



