1923] Pearson: Notes on a Collection of Neiv Zealand Hepaticae 313 



I have seen no specimens of S. olovata from New Zealand. 

 Stephani says he has seen no fertile ones from that country, where 

 the species is evidently rare. I have specimens of 8. grandibracteata 

 St., ex herb. Levier, Nova Zelandia, AVaimata bush (Canterbury), 

 May, 1901, legit T. W. N. Beckett, det. F. Stephani n. 2797, which 

 although Stephani places it in another section {A. Frocumbentes) is 

 very similar to 8. ohovata; there are no calyptras on the specimen 

 and the $ bracts are similar to and no larger than those I find on 

 other specimens of 8. ohovata. Stephani describes 8. grandibracteata 

 as brownish-olive, Beckett's specimens are as green or greener than 

 8. obovata, with costa abruptly changing to wings, and Beckett's 

 specimen on cross-section shows a gradual transition as in 8. obovata, 

 3-3-2-2-2-1. 



8. puIcJira Tayl. is reduced to a synonym of 8. obovata by 

 Stephani. This I agree with, after examination of original specimens 

 in the Manchester Museum, collected by Drummond at Swan River. 



Stephani points out (Sp. Hep., Mem. Herb. Boissier, no. 11, p. 43) 

 that Mitten is wrong in referring the New Zealand plant to 8. rhizo- 

 loba Schwaegr., a species which is distinguished at once from all 

 allied forms by the distinctly thickened marginal cells. 



Specimens named ^S'. obovata ? Basket Island leg. Spezziganni, ex. 

 herb. Massalongo, "in the Manchester Museum agree with 8. obovata. 



Solenostoma brevissimum sp. nov. 



Plate 88 



Dioicous. Small, pale green to rose colored; densely caespitose, 

 terricolous. Stems erect, simple, tender, 35 cortical cells, inner 12 

 in diam., similar to the cortical, radiculose up to apex, rhizoids few, 

 delicate, hyaline. Leaves 3 to 6 pairs, spreading or ascending and 

 then clasping the stem, distant, approximate or imbricate, slightly 

 concave, oval, lower ones smaller and sometimes rounder, entire or 

 retuse, cuticle smooth ; cells medium size, quadrate or oblong-quadrate, 

 walls thin, trigones small or wanting. Bracts similar to leaves, 

 slightly larger, retuse or entire. Perianth projecting half beyond 

 the bracts to which they are adnate at their base, narrowly oval, 130 

 single cells round near the middle, 4-keeled, keels irregular, rounded, 

 mouth when young shortly tubular, setulose, afterwards lacerate. 



Numerous delicate sterile stems with distant leaves entangled in 

 the tufts. 



No androecia seen. 



Dimejisiovs. — Stems I/4 inch long, with leaves 1.25 mm. wide, 

 diam. .3 mm., leaves 1.25 mm. X 1 mm., 1.1 mm. X -9 mm., .9 mm. 

 X .9 mm., cells .035 mm. ; bracts 1.25 mm. X 1-1 mm. ; perianth 1.5 

 mm. X -7 mm. 



