CoLENSO. — On new Cryptogamic Plants. 281 



Periantli terminal on short lateral branchlets, green, broadly- 

 elliptic, apiculate, sub-inflated, mouth large, gaping, lips entire, 

 thickened, incurved, with 3-4 very minute ciliae {sub lente) at tip, 

 the mucro sometimes split or minutely bifid ; seta short, 

 slightly exserted, nodding ; capsule oval, dark red-brown, small 

 for plant ; valves oblong, obtuse ; elaters bi-spiral, adhering 

 largely to margms. The male plant is more slender, with 

 smaller leaves, narrow spikes, and much attenuated apices. 



Hah. In wet dark woods in deep gulleys between hills, 

 growing luxuriantly and thickly in very large continuous patches 

 of several feet, on rotten logs, roots and bases of trunks of large 

 trees, completely covering them ; near Norsewood, County of 

 Waipawa; 1885-86: W.C. 



Obs. This fine species will rank with those other known New 

 Zealand dendroid Plagiochilce, — viz., P. gigantea, Lind., P. 

 stephensoniana. Mitt., P. suh-similis, Col.,* etc. It also has 

 affinity with them all, mostly, perhaps, with P. stepihensoniana , 

 but differing fi-om that species in its perianth and involucral 

 leaves, colour, and manner of growth, being much and largely 

 branched at the top. The form of its leaves on the ventral side 

 in their upper basal portion is much like those of P. deltoidea, 

 and P. cristata, Lind., (and of some others,) being largely-pro- 

 duced and sub-amplexicaul. 



2. P. obscura, sp. nov. 



Ehizome creeping, long, stout. Stems dendroid, erect, 

 5-6 inches high, semi-depressed and sulcated below, dark, 

 stout, leafy from base, much branched above ; branches sub- 

 tripinnate, reddish-brown. Leaves very numerous, close, im- 

 bricate, cordate, amplexicaul, sparsely ciliate-dentate at apex 

 and apical portion of ventral margin ; the dorsal base of leaf 

 wavy and largely decurrent, and nearly meeting on the stem 

 that of the opposite leaf; the base of the ventral margin much 

 produced beyond the stem ; the young leaves light-green, the 

 old ones dark-green ; cells minute, orbicular; guttulate, sub- 

 opaque. Involucral leaves similar, but smaller and obovate ; 

 teeth coarse, each containing many cells. Perianth terminal 

 on very short lateral branchlets, green, elliptic-orbicular, obtuse, 

 apiculate, entire, the mucro having 4 short teeth (sub lente) ; 

 seta exserted, very short ; capsule small, oval, dark-brown ; 

 valves sub-acute. 



Hab. On decaying logs and branches, wet dark woods near 

 Norsewood, County of Waipawa ; 1886 : W.C. 



Obs. A species allied to the preceding, P. polycarpa, but a 

 smaller, coarser, and darker plant, with differently shaped and 

 opaque leaves. 



*" Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xiv., p. 340. 



