60 BOTANICAL NEWS. 
little shorter. This abnormality, although at first sight seeming to indicate a 
pelorian tendency, is no approximation to regularity, from the fact of the extra 
spur being differently placed, with regard to the sepals, from the normal one. 
Mr. Sadler announced that Mr. E. G. Kamsay, Bridgend, Perth, had, last 
summer, collected Polypodium calcareum in considerable quantity about two 
miles west from Aberfeldy. This is the first time that this fern has been met 
with in Scotland in an apparently wild state. Specimens from Mr. Ramsay 
were exhibited and presented to the Herbarium. 
January 10th, 1867. — William Gorrie, Esq., V.P., in the chair. Communi- 
cations read : — 1. On the Ghtmacece of Otago, New Zealand. By W. Lauder 
Lindsay, M.D., F.K.S.E., F.L.S. In this paper the author included the Na- 
tural Orders Juncacea , i Restiacea, Cyperacea, and Graminece, and enumerated 
the different species he met with, and recorded the localities in which they 
occur. In speaking of the Graminece he says : — The grass lands of Otago are 
mainly confined to the plains or "flats," and the downs or uplands (under 
1000 feet) of the lowlands ; the hill ranges, with their valleys, between 1000 
and 3000 feet ; and the lake and river terraces of the interior. On the moun- 
tains immediately above the limits of arboreal and shrubby vegetation, the 
settler recognizes a belt of grassy vegetation, known as that of the " snow 
grasses." These consist only partially, however, of grasses proper (species of 
Danthonia and Agrostis), including, though to a very limited extent, probably 
certain Cyperacea. Buchanan is of opinion that some of the more fibrous 
grasses (species of Triticum, Agrostis, Arundo, and Danthonia) which abound 
on the lower hill ranges, at elevations over 1000 feet, might be used for mak- 
ing paper. But they cannot successfully compete with other paper materials 
which are more abundant and cheaper. They are rapidly disappearing before 
the introduced, cultivated, and so-called "artificial" grasses of Britain ; they 
could only prove a permanent source of supply, therefore, if cultivated, and 
there are many indigenous fibrous plants, which are better than any of the 
grasses. In their present sites of growth, the cost of collection and transport 
would alone prevent competition in the market with rags or other material. 
Several gras.es are recorded as indigenous by Dr. Hooker, which are also 
British ; not a few British grasses have, undoubtedly, been introduced, and are 
now more or less extensively naturalized ; while some are probably both indi- 
genous and introduced. The problem here offers itself for solution to the 
local botanist, viz. whether, or how, it is possible to distinguish the native from 
the naturalized condition of the same species ; for, on the one hand, grasses re- 
garded by Dr. Hooker as introduced occur under circumstances in which it is, 
to say the least, extremely difficult to conceive of their being diffused from re- 
mote stations, while, on the other, those recorded as indigenous are found in 
localities which give rise to the legitimate conjecture that they have been intro- 
duced. For instance, two British species of Festuca occur in Otago, (F. du- 
riuscula and F. bromoides). The former is recorded by Dr. Hooker as native, 
the latter as " certainly introduced and nowhere native." I found them grow- 
ing in the same habitats, and intermixed ; it was impov.ible to determine that 
the one was native and the other introduced. So far as regards their botanical 
characters, they appear identical with British specimens, ami from their occur- 
