224 Transactions. — Botany. 



white sub-cartilaginous translucent margin remaining, and so 

 throughout) ; segments alternate sometimes opposite, free 

 but close, sinuses broad, broadly oblong, (sometimes broadly 

 deltoid, the upper margin horizontal, and apex very obtuse,) 

 2-4 lines long, sessile with a broad base extended upwards and 

 decurrent, tips rounded ; the lower segments small and semi- 

 orbicular, sometimes narrow lunate ; the terminal lobe ovate, 

 obtuse ; margins entire, slightly sinuate, narrowly cartilaginous, 

 minutely and sharply serrulate (sub lente) at tips of veins with 

 2-3-4 microscopical teeth close together ; midrib not extending 

 to tips; veins few, pinnate, 4-5-jugate, simple and forked, 

 extending to margins, slightly clavate : fertile frond, 2 inches 

 shorter and narrower, the stipe usually longer, pinnae few, 

 alternate and opposite, 2-3 lines long, narrow-linear, much 

 falcate or curved upwards, distant, sessile, and largely decurrent 

 on rhachis ; tips obtuse and mucronate ; the ultimate lobe long 

 and very narrow. Involucre narrow, not extending to tips, at 

 first incurved, afterwards recurved and everted, margin entire. 

 Sori brown, profuse, covering midrib and rhachis also when 

 lobes opposite. 



Tlali. Sides of streams, and watercourses in low gullies, 

 forests about Danneverke, County of Waipawa ; 1887 : W.C. 



Obs. I. This little fern is closely and naturally allied to some 

 other of our small Lomarice: as L. lanceolata, Spr., L. mem- 

 branacea, Col., L. pumila, Kaoul, L. oligoneuron, Col., and 

 L. intermedia, Col. ; :;: but, as I take it, (after long and close 

 comparison and study of the plants in their living state,) is 

 very distinct from them all in several characters, yet forming 

 with them a pleasing kind of natural sequence. At the same 

 time, with Sir W. J. Hooker, 1 feel obliged to remark on the 

 great and increasing difficulty or impossibility of making real 

 distinctions and differences in allied ferns clearly known without 

 accurate drawings. 



II. I have described it as "pinnate," (and have given my 

 reason for doing so,) other botanists may deem it to be pin- 

 natifid ; it is just one of those ferns that (to use Sir W. J. 

 Hooker's words) " might with equal propriety be called pinuatifid 

 or pinnate." (" 1c. I'd.," on tab. cxl.) 



III. It grows plentifully in those habitats mentioned above ; 

 and with it, just as plentiful, its congener /,. lance data, of various 

 sizes. And while, at first sight, the skilled observer is liable to 

 confound the two plants, (as I myself did,) yet he soon learns to 

 distinguish them, cv<"\ :i f a short distance. 



8. L. parvifolia, sp. nov. 



Fronds (sterile) including stipes, 7-9 inches high, 4-5 lines 



• " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xis., p. 274. 



