Chebseman. — ISIew Spepies of Plants. 215 



genus are principally founded on deviations in the form of that organ it 

 is difficult to avoid the belief that the two plants are distinct. The lat'e 

 Mr. E. F. Fitzgerald, in his magnificent work on Australian orchids, unhesi- 

 tatingly accepted this view ; and a comparson of the figures of the two 

 species given by him shows how great the differences are. The receipt of a 

 large parcel of fresh specimens of T. pauciflora collected by by Mr. Town- 

 son near Pukekohe ga\e me an opportunity of reviewing the matter, with 

 the result of fully supporting the correctness of Mr. Fitzgerald's opinion. 

 T. pauciflora differs from T. longifolia in its smaller size and more slender 

 habit ; in its narrower and deeply channelled leaf ; in the smaller flowers ; 

 and especially in the middle lobe of the column-wing, which is deeply 

 emarginate or 2-lobed, whereas it is much broader, more hood-shaped, and 

 barely emarginate in T. longifolia. I should perhaps say that in all essential 

 points New Zealand specimens agree with the drawing given by Mr. Fitz- 

 gerald of T. pauciflora. 



Hooker's T. Colensoi, which has not been collected of late years, and 

 which was originally referred to T. pauciflora, differs from that plant, 

 according to Hooker, " in the very narrow sepals and petals, very short 

 column, and very long erect appendages." 



8. Rhopalostylis Cheesemanii Beccari in Herb. Kew., MS. 



In August, 1887, I accompanied the expedition sent by the New Zealand 

 Government to annex the Kermadec Islands to the Colony of New Zealand. 

 During this visit I was able to give rather more than a week to the explora- 

 tion of the flora of Sunday (or Eaoul) Island, and to form a fairly complete 

 collection of the phaenogamic plants and vascular cryptogams of the island. 

 Included in this series was a palm which I then supposed to be identical 

 with the Norfolk Island Kentia Baueri (now known as Rhopalostylis Baveri), 

 although, as no actual comparison of specimens could be made, an element 

 of doubt still remained. A short time ago, however, the veteran botanist 

 Dr. 0. Beccari, one of the chief authorities on palms, compared my 

 specimens with the Norfolk Island species, and informs me that the 

 Kermadec plant is specifically distinct. He states that " it is closely allied 

 to R. Baueri, but is easily distinguishable by its larger spherical fruits and 

 larger leavres with considerably longer leaflets." I hope that Dr. Beccari 

 win shortly publish a full diagnosis ; but in the meantime it is well to 

 publish the fact that the Kermadec plant is a distinct and endemic species, 

 and that R. Baueri does not extend beyond the confines of Norfolk Island. 



