60 Transactions. 



me a fine series of specimens of the plant collected on the Auckland, Camp- 

 bell, Disappointment, and Antipodes Islands, which appear to demonstrate 

 the much closer affinity of U. Hookeri to U. compacta R. Br. than to the 

 latter's U. riparia. I regard U. Hookeri as either a valid species or else 

 a form of U. rupestris Eaoul, as the late Mr. Kirk thought. What Raoul's 

 plant really is, is still uncertain, and its rediscovery near Akaroa, where 

 Raoul found it, will he necessary to settle the point. His figure is not 

 characteristic of any form of Uncinia known to me. Botanical workers 

 in Christ church would do a most useful service in hunting up this species 

 on Banks Peninsula, where it is likely still to grow. 



5. Carex Darwinii Boott var. urolepis (Franch.) Kukenthal. 



This species occurs on the Auckland Islands (F. R. Chapman !), and 

 also on Antipodes Island (B. C. Aston !) Mr. Chapman gave me his only 

 specimen in February, 1890, but it was immature and not very complete, 

 and I could make nothing of it. Some months ago Dr. Cockayne, F.R.S., 

 gave me some pieces of C. Darwinii var. urolepis from the Chatham Islands, 

 and Mr. W. R. B. Oliver contributed one or two more from the same locality. 

 With this material before me I was at once able to recognize the plants 

 collected by Mr. ( lhapman and Mr. Aston. I have seen only the figure of 

 C. Darwinii in J. D. Hooker's " Flora Antarctica,"' but if that is typical 

 of the species I would regard Franchet's species as a perfectly valid one, 

 provided the New Zealand specimens are correctly referred there. The 

 antiquity of this species must be immense, as it is common to South 

 America, the Auckland and Antipodes Islands, and Chatham Islands. That 

 species should remain stable for such vast stretches of time in environments 

 in many respects so different may well puzzle evolutionists, and incline 

 one to the belief that practically identical specific forms may have originated 

 in more than one centre, a biological heresy no doubt, but one that can be 

 supported by a large body of evidence from the New Zealand flora. 



6. Carex appressa R. Br. var. sectoides Kukenthal. 



This form also occurs on our» subantarctic islands, having been col- 

 lected by Mr. F. R. Chapman in 1890, who, however, was uncertain whether 

 lie collected it on the Snares or on the Auckland Islands, so that the exact 

 habitat cannot be settled at present. I owe the recognition of this plant 

 to the recent gift of specimens of it from the (hat ham Islands, contributed 

 by Dr. Cockayne, F^R.S., and Mr. W. R. B. Oliver. The occurrence 

 together on the Chatham Islands of C. Darwinii var. urolepis and C. appressa 

 var. sectoides lends some probability to their joint occurrence on the sub- 

 antarctic islands. 



It appears to be very doubtful if Kukenthal's reference of his var. 

 sectoides to C. appressa R. Br. is warranted ; the utricles differ from those 

 of C. appressa more widely than do those of C. secta, and the points of 

 resemblance are confined to habit of growth merely. When satisfactory 

 material is available the position of var. sectoides will call for careful recon- 

 sideration. 



7. Poa caespitosa Forst. f. var. planifolia. 



This variety was found on Antipodes Island by the late H. J. Matthews, 

 who brought back a live plant that grew well in his garden at Duneclin. The 

 specimens seen came partly from this plant and partly from others grown 

 from its " seed." As noted elsewhere (ante, p. 58), it is most likely iden- 

 tical with the Antipodes Island grass that the late Mr. Kirk referred to 

 Poa anceps Forst. f. 



