At first sight this plant would pass for a weak- growing speci- 

 men of Belesseria Hypoglossum, so common on the shores of 

 Britain, and of some coasts of Europe and North America ; and 

 which is also closely related to D. crassinervia of the Antarctic 

 zone. But the microscope at once reveals characters in the mid- 

 rib and in the cellular structure of the lamina, which are both 

 readily seen and constant, and which therefore mark the species. 

 The jointed three-tubed midrib is found in several other species, 

 both Australian and American ; but not in I), hypoglosmm, or any 

 of the European kinds. It was first observed in D. Leprieurii, 

 where it is even more strongly marked than in the present. 



Our plant is closely related to D. spathulata, Sond., also a 

 West Australian species, and which differs much as B. ruscifolia 

 does from D. Hypoglossum. 



Fig. 1. Delesseria hypoglossoides, the natural size. 2. Portion of a leaf, 

 magnified ; showing the distribution of the cells in the membrane, and the 

 jointed midrib. 



