Colenso. — Description of new < Wyptogamic Plant*. 223 



wide, linear-acuminate, lower pairs distant and very short, 3-4 

 inches long ; pinnules sub-linpar-lanceolate, acute, 2 inches 

 long. 8 lines wide, pinnatifid, regular, alternate, petiolate, 

 petioles very short ; segments alternate, 3 lines loug, 1^ lines 

 broad, linear, falcate, the upper half coarsely serrate, acute, 

 sessile, slightly recurved, the lowest pair free, petiolate, and 

 crenate, sometimes only the single lowest one is petioled, this 

 segment is always the shortest on the piunule, divergent and 

 largely crenate-serrate or lobed throughout ; veins alternate, 

 white, rather distant, 6-jugate, stout, lower broadly forked, 

 upper simple, extending to margin, prominent below, 

 sunk above. Sori not numerous, and confined to lower 

 portions of segments and pinnules, rather large, obtusely 

 conical, usually two on a segment on the lowest pair of veins 

 just below the fork, and running in a single line on each side of 

 costa of pinnule and close to it, sometimes (but rarely) 3-5 on 

 a segment, especially the lowest pair ; capsules numerous, 

 minute, pyriform, shortly pedicellate, at first green, afterwards 

 reddish, shining ; spores trigonous ; receptacle cylindrical, elon- 

 gate, stalked, sub-clavate, puberulous ; involucre a shallow 

 membranaceous, whitish, and spreading cup, with even margin, 

 marked with fine and closely-waved lines (sub lens), extending 

 round costal half or little more of sorus, sometimes, but rarely, 

 surrounding it at base, and, when so, always unequal, being 

 much larger on the costal side, never, not even in the most 

 incipient state, covering the sorus, which is always largely 

 exposed. 



Hob. Edges of forests, banks of streams in the Seventy- 

 mile Bush, between Nor'sewood and Danneverke, County of 

 Waipawa; 1882-5 : W.C. 



Obs. I. A species near to H. smithii, Hook, fil., (Cyathea 

 S7)uthii, "Flora N.Z.," and also '-Handbook"), but widely 

 distinct from that species in many characters (vide description, 

 supra) ; although, without close examination and comparison, it 

 is likely to be confounded with it, especially if only herbarium 

 specimens are examined. I was for some years deceived 

 through lack of close investigation, and therefore I have given 

 more minutely its description. 



Obs. II. This species (like a few other known ones) is inter- 

 mediate between the two genera Cyathea and Hemitelia ; and 

 were its sori ever enwrapped in their involucres, it might well 

 be placed under Cyathea, but such is not the case. 



Genus 81. Botrychium, Linn. 

 1. B. biforme, sp. nov. 



Rootstock thick; roots many, sub-tuberous, fascicled, straight, 

 vertical, with long spreading horizontal rootlets, yellowish- 

 brown. Plant glabrous. Stipe proper (or lower scape) about 



