300 Tramactions. — Botany. 



branched above, leafy tbroughout ; brancbes alternate, long, 

 irregular, tips involute. Leaves regular, very close, largely im- 

 bricate, sub-vertical, broadly oval, wavy, decurrent, margined ; 

 margins entire, but slightly irregular with a very narrow mar- 

 ginal line ; leaves when dry secuud, vertical above stem and 

 closely appressed to each other. Cells minute, orbicular, guttu- 

 late, smaller at margin, larger and clearer at base, with minute 

 interstitial cellules. Involucre (or perianth) terminal from a 

 short stout branch near base, sessile, erect, sub-oblong-ovate 

 2 lines long, plaited at toj), mouth large, tips finely lacerate. 

 Two short scaly flagellaB depending fr'om branch a little below 

 the involucre. 



Hab. Hilly woods at Pohue, north-west fr*om Napier, 

 County of Hawke's Bay ; 1885 : Mr. A. Hamilton. 



Ohs. A species widely differing from the few other known 

 ones. I have received several leafing specimens of this plant, 

 but only one of them bore an involucre (old) and flagellae ; 

 more and perfect ones are wanted. 



Genus 30. Symphyogyna, Mont, and Nees. 



1. S. platycalyi)tra, sp. nov. 



Plant dioecious, terrestrial, highly gregarious ; stipitate, 

 erect, rising from a short stout simple or few-branched succulent 

 subterraneous rhizome, that is slightly hairy with fine weak 

 hairs ; generally 3 stipes, each about 1 inch apart, spring from 

 one rhizome, the rhizomes being thickly matted. Frond circular, 

 1 inch diameter, of a pleasing green, divided into two main 

 branches, that are again equally divided and largely overlapping, 

 each flabellate division containing 3 branchlets, which are again 

 dichotomous, and broadly margined to their bases ; the main 

 branches, however, are not margined ; margins entire, slightly 

 sinuous ; mam sinuses broad, open ; ultimate sinuses narrow ; 

 lobes short, overlapping, broad in middle, not linear, much 

 waved, apices retuse ; cells small, orbicular ; the nerve broad 

 and strong, but not extending to apical margin. Stem stout, 

 succulent, 1-27} inches high, cylindrical below, compressed 

 above. Female plant : fructification regular, generally 2-4, soh- 

 tary at upper forks beneath, sometimes, but rarely, 1 at the 

 main forking ; involucral scale large, 2 lines wide, sub-reuiform, 

 slightly bilobed, undulate, somewhat plaited, recurved, with a 

 glossy knobbed protuberance at the base ; margin sub-sinuous, 

 entire ; cellules large, orbicular ; 1-2 minute scales behind, and 

 so enclosing calyptra. Cal}'ptra very broad, j\jth inch wide, 

 l-|-2 lines long, flat, membranous, smooth, shining, slightly 

 laciuiate at apex, very light-green ; cellules quadrangular- 

 oblong. Capsule (immature within) globular, large, smooth, 

 green, surrounded by 8-10 large cellular pistilhdia that spring 



