220 Trayisactions. — Botany. 



II. It is not, however, without some hesitation that I bring 

 forward this handsome fern as a new species ; and I only do so 

 after long and close examination of several specimens, including 

 whole tufts of living plants. Of all our known New Zealand 

 ferns (as I have already said) this one is more nearly allied to 

 Pteris (Li tohro chia) macilenta. Fortunately I possess the full 

 history of that fern, including the fine folio engraving of the 

 type specimen, together with the ample original description of 

 it given by its describer, A. Richard;" and of that engraving 

 Sir W. J. Hooker remarks (in his more fully describing Pteris 

 (Litobrochia) macilenta) : " Richard's figure faithfully represents 

 the frond. "f Indeed, had I not Richard's figure and descrip- 

 tion, supported as they are by Sir W. J. Hooker, I do not think 

 I should care to describe this fern as a new species, through my 

 not having at hand a genuine specimen of Pterin macilenta. 

 There is, however, a very great amount of difference between 

 Richard's figure and this new plant; as is also further shown 

 in his specific description of Pteris macilenta, some of which I 

 shall quote to demonstrate how much it disagrees with that of 

 this fern, for I suppose his botanical work containing it is but 

 little known here among us : — " Frondibus bipinnatis . 

 pinnulis jmucioribus distantibus oblongis pinnatifidis ; laciniis 

 integris aut apice inciso-dentatis glabris, membranaceis ; indusiis 

 membranaceis margine continuis " (I.e.). And, in his further 

 " observations " upon the newly-discovered plant, he goes on to 

 say: " Cette espece est bien remarquable parson port, qui la 

 distingue au premier coup-d'-ceil de toutes les autres especes du 

 genre, et qui la rapprocherait plutot de certaines especes de 

 Lindsaa. Ses frondes sont longues d'environ un pied et demi, et 

 rneme deux pieds, et composers d'/ni tres-petit n tmbre de folioles 

 ecartees les unes des autres, et plus on moins profondement 

 pinnatifides. Les divisions de ces pinnules sont ou cntieres 

 ou irrcgulierement dentees a (cur sommct, constamment tres- 

 glabres." [I.e.) 



III. A. Cunningham, in his " Precursor of New Zealand 

 Botany," quotes entire, with apparent approval, Richard's 

 specific description, and that without any addition of his own, 

 A. Cunningham having also detected this fern at the north, " in 

 dry woods at Whangaroa," in 1827; and, subsequently, his 

 brother, R. Cunningham, " in similar situations in that locality, 

 in 18;54." 



IV. Sir W. J. Hooker also, in his more fully and specifically 

 describing Pteris (Litob.) maeilen ta, says: " . . pinnae and pin- 

 nules remote alternate, ultimate pinnules small (1-3 inches) ovate 



* "Voyage de L'Astrolabe : Botanique," p. 82. 



t " Species Filicum," vol. ii., p. 220. 



J " Companion, Botanical Magazine," vol. ii., p. 365. 



