TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 217 



and leaves of old plants and the roots of young plants. The 

 seeds often germmate in the capsule, and it was no uncommon 

 thing to find capsules still attached to the stem and with 

 apparently perfect seeds imbedded some Sin. or 4in. below the 

 surface of the mass, the old surface having been covered with 

 a growth of young plants too quickly to allow of the germina- 

 tion of the buried seeds. 



x\nother interesting plant was a new Licjusticum, to which 

 I have given the name of L. acut'ifoUum : it was only observed 

 in one place, at an altitude of about 350ft. above sea-level ; its 

 stems below the leaves were nearly as thick as a man's wrist, 

 and the entire plant was about 4ft. in height. Its nearest allies 

 are L. intermedium, Hook, f., and L. lyallii, Hook, f., but it is 

 destitute of the viscid milky juice which is so characteristic of 

 those plants in the recent state. The membranous leaves are 

 thrice - pinnate, with large acute segments, and the fruits 

 approach L. lyallii. 



The most striking plant is undoubtedly the punui, Aralia 

 lyallii, var. roSz^sto, the large orbicular-reniform leaves of which 

 are sometimes 2ft. in diameter. It differs from the typical 

 form in the absence of the remarkable stolons of that plant, in 

 the petioles being very stout, flat on the upper surface and 

 concave beneath, giving a planoconvex section, and in being 

 solid or nearly so, instead of terete, thin-walled, and fistulose. 

 The flowers also, although forming equally large masses with 

 the type, are individually smaller, and invariably of a dull pale- 

 yellow hue ; but there is no structural difference, although it 

 must be admitted that at first sight the plant appears to differ 

 widely from the type. 



Lcpidhim olcraccum was found in one or two places on the 

 cliffs, associated with Myosotis cajntata, var. alhida, a form 

 frequent on Stewart Island. Lomaria dura was plentiful every- 

 where close to the sea. 



A few naturalised plants have been introduced by the 

 sealers ; and the following common New Zealand plants, which 

 appear to be recent immigrants on the Snares, have doubtless 

 been introduced by the same agency : Sonclms asyer, Juncus 

 bufonius, Hicrocliloe redolcns, Dcycuxia forsteri. 



Mosses are exceptionally rare, the only species collected 

 being Hypnum serpens. A few Lichens were observed, but no 

 Fungi or Hepaticte. No opportunity of collecting Algae was 

 afforded. 



The following catalogue of flowering plants and ferns shows 

 a meagre flora even for so small an area. A closer examina- 

 tion of the cliffs than I was able to give might add several 

 species, and a few others might possibly be collected on the 

 smaller islands, but it is unlikely that any material additions 

 could be made : — 



