256 Transactions. 



main stem of the adult j^lant is above ground, and has a seri3entine 

 habit of growth. It extends in a succession of loops and nodes, at each 

 node the stem being fastened to the ground bv a group of adventitious 

 roots, which arise in the first place immediately behind the stem-apex 

 on its ventral side, while from the loops arise the branches of limited 

 and unlimited growth. The branches are borne laterally right and left 

 on the main stem, but the erect tree-like fertile branches take their origin 

 from its dorsal side. Here, again, Pritzel's description is misleading : 

 only certain of the branches — namely, the fertile ones — are tree-like; the 

 main body of the plant is widely creeping and branclied. The figure 

 which he gives in Engler and Prantl illustrating this species is that of an 

 ei-ect fertile branch only; the group of roots at the base should not be 

 so figured. There are numerous short cones borne at the ends of the 

 branchlets in the fertile regions. 



L. densum Labill. 



This species grows abundantly throughout the Auckland Province on 

 clay land an:iongst light open " scrub " vegetation, and also in the more 

 open parts of kauri forest near its outskirts. (For general habit see 

 Cockayne, L., loc. cit., fig. 16.) The main rhizome, which is from 

 4 ft. to 10 ft. in length, is stout, and there ai'e also subterranean 

 branches both of limited and also unlimited growth, borne laterally on 

 the main stem. The branches of limited growth emerge from the ground 

 as rigid, erect, much-branched, tree-like, aerial shoots, generally from 

 1 ft. to 3 ft. in height. I have often observed that when the plants are 

 growing amongst tangled scrub the aerial shoots may be as much as 8 ft. 

 or 9 ft. in height, and in some cases remain totally unbranched. Stout 

 adventitious roots arise ventrally from the main rhizome and branches, 

 and are borne singly, generally immediately behind a point of branch- 

 ing. There are three distinct varieties of this species, corresponding 

 to differences in the general size of the leaves with which the aerial 

 branches are covered. The numerous short cylindrical cones are soli- 

 tary and terminal on the ultimate branchlets. In the particular variety 

 which is characterized by the acicular form of its leaves the branchlets 

 on which the cones are borne are more or less modified as peduncles. 



L. volubile Forst. 



This species is common throughout New Zealand, excepting in the 

 driest districts, growing freely amongst Leytosipermum and other 

 heath-like vegetation. It has a scrambling habit, or at times is a 

 winding liane, spreading over the ground or over low-growing bushes. 

 Individual plants are often so much as 12-15 ft. in length. There is a 

 main axis of growth, on which are borne laterallj^ in the plane of the 

 surface on which the plant is growing, branches of limited and also of 

 unlimited growth. The leaves are dimorphous, as has been noticed and 

 commented upon by Boodle (1), the larger laterally borne, sickle-shaped, 

 and distichously spreading; the smaller linear, scale-like, and borne 

 dorsally and ventrally. The distichous character is for the most part 

 confined to the smaller branchlets on the branches of limited growth. 

 An account of the development of heterophylly in this species and in 

 //. scariosum has been given in a former paper by the writer (11, 

 p. 366). Here it need only be mentioned, as Goebel has already 

 pointed ou't^ that certain leaves on the main shoots are hook-like,. 



