Colenso. — Description of new Cryptogarmc Plants. 25l 



Obs. It is with some doubt that I place this new, cmious, 

 arid interesting little plant under Zoopsis, as it possesses some 

 only of its characters. Sir J. D. Hooker had only seen "imma- 

 ture fruit " of the one species on which he established that 

 genus. This plant, however, is very distinct from that one, and 

 also from Z. flagellifonne, mihi (supra), and may yet become the 

 type of another genus. 



Genus 30. Symphyogyna, Mont, and Nees. 

 1. S. brevicaulis, sp. nov. 



Plant epiphytical, closely gregarious, pendulous and imbri- 

 cated in growth, rhizome creeping, rough, spongy, light-brown, 

 villous. Frond light grass-green, glabrous, mostly simple, 

 linear-oblong, about ^ inch long, 1-2 lines wide, sometimes but 

 rarely forked, much waved, margins entire, tips retuse, broad at 

 base and shortly decurrent or truncate, midrib thick ; stipe very 

 short, with fine red hairy rootlets at base ; cells large, of various 

 sizes, sub-quadrate. Involucre central, sometimes 2-3 on a 

 single frond, and when the frond is forked not at the forking, 

 small, deeply laciniate, laciniae very narrow. Calyptra long, 

 tubular, sub-clavate, striate, rather loose and sub-plaited, lips 

 entire, bearing a few scattered reddish pistillidia. Fruit-stalk 

 short, often two very near each other. Capsule 1 line long, 

 cylindric, obtuse, finely striate, purple-black; spores circular, dark 

 purple-brown ; elaters very numerous, long, bi-spiral, flexuous. 



Hab. Clothing the stem of a fern tree (Dicksonia squarrosa), 

 in a deep- shaded forest near Norsewood, County of Waipawa ; 

 1884-85 : W.C. 



Obs. A species near to S. sub-simplex, Mitten, and to S. sim- 

 plex, Colenso, (" Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xvi., p. 352,) especially 

 in its barren fronds, but very distinct in its characters. 



Genus 32. Aneura, Dumort. 

 1. A. mtiscoides, sp. nov. 



Plant light-green, in dense, small-moss-like effigurate sub- 

 circular patches, 5-6 inches diameter ; excessively compact and 

 uniform. Fronds minute, erect, sub \ inch high, simple, rarely 

 forked, compressed, linear-cuneate, under \ line wide, broadest 

 at tip, margins sinuate, and very shortly and sparingly lobed 

 or knobbed ; tip 1-2 notched, or truncate ; green above at apex, 

 white below at base. 



Hab. Sides of wet cliffs, and closely adhering to them ; 

 River Mangatawhainui, near Norsewood, County of Waipawa ; 

 October, 1884 : W.C. 



Obs. This little plant wears a most peculiar appearance, 

 more like a thick patch of densely growing Conferva, or a piece 

 of green plush cloth ! Although presenting such a close rigid 



