240 Transactions. — Botany. 



spreading, imbricate at base, flat, falcate, sub-ovate-oblong, 

 truncate, 8-toothed ; teeth acute ; dorsal margin curved, ventral 

 straight ; cells orbicular, small and distinct at apex, larger and 

 very compact at base ; young leaves with compact sub-quadrate 

 cells. Stipules rather large, free, sub-quadrate, usually b- (some- 

 times 4- and 8-) toothed ; teeth small, blunt ; cells smaller than 

 in leaves and more distinct (very much like those of M. nova- 

 sealandia, Mitt.). Fruit not seen. 



Hab. Forests near Norsewood, closely overlying mosses (par- 

 ticularly tufts of Leucobryum candidum, and killing them) ; 

 1885: W.C. 



Ob*. A very pretty species, having affinity with M. tay- 

 lorianum, Mitt., and M. monilinerve, Nees. 



2. M delicatulum, sp. nov. 



Plant small, procumbent, creeping ; stems \ - 1$ inches 

 long, less (with leaves) than \ line wide, dichotomous, having a 

 jointed appearance. Leaves minute, pinnate, pale-green, some- 

 what thickish and opaque, free, rarely laxly imbricate, slightly 

 convex, obliquely oblong-quadrate, sub-falcate, spreading, trun- 

 cate at tips and coarsely 8-dentate, dorsal margin arched, ventral 

 straight ; cells minute, annular, distinct in parallel lines alike 

 throughout (much as in M. nova-zealandia). Stipules free, 

 small, very membranaceous, light-reddish-brown, sub- quadrate, 

 8-5-fid ; segments straight or slightly curved ; cells large. 

 Flagellar few and short. Fruit not seen. 



Hab. On trunks of tree-ferns, shaded wet woods near Norse- 

 wood, County of Waipawa ; 1885 : W.C. 



Obs. — A peculiar finely-cut soft and delicate-looking plant, 

 forming close and thickish patches through continuously over- 

 growing ; having pretty close affinity with M. taylorianum, but 

 differing in its free leaves with orbicular separate cells that are 

 alike throughout, and in its quadrate laciniate membranaceous 

 stipules. I have not yet found it in fruit ; and for a long time 

 I had supposed it might prove to be a species of Lophocolea, 

 owing to its being barren and my not meeting with a single 

 imbricating branchlet. 



8. M. quadratum, sp. nov. 



Plant small, tufted, sub-erect ; stems $ - 1 inch long, once 

 forked, and loosely dichotomously branched ; grass-green. 

 Leaves close, laxly imbricate at bases, pinnate, falcate, sub- 

 oblong-quadrate, broadest at base, lateral margins slightly 

 uneven or sub-sinuate-dentate, the upper one much arched, the 

 lower straight, short, tip truncate and 3-dentate ; teeth large, 

 acute, cellular ; cells small, orbicular, larger and oblong-orbi- 

 cular in centre of leaf. Stipules free, large, quadrate, emar- 

 ginate, toothed on three sides but most so at top, reddish - 

 tipped. Flagella? numerous, slender, short. 



