CHAP. XXIX.] NEW ZEALAND. 423 



In mosses and livermosses New Zealand is very rich. 

 Most of them were collected by Menzies, many also by 

 Cunningham and D'Urville. As Menzies collected all his 

 specimens in the middle island, the mountainous and wooded 

 character of which increases greatly the moisture of the 

 climate, it is probable that many more genera and species 

 will be discovered, as the interior of that island has scarcely 

 ever been investigated by a botanist. The number of the 

 species described is 72, belonging to the genera Sphagnum, 

 Gymnostomum, Polytrichum, Dicranum, Trichostomum, 

 Leucodon, Zygodon, Orthotrichum, Neckera, Bartramia, 

 Codonoblepharum, Bryum, Leskea, Hypnum, Racopilum, 

 Jungermannia (of which latter alone exist 27 species), An- 

 thoceros, and Marchantia. 



Of all plants, however, \heferns and fern- like plant.? are 

 the most numerous in New Zealand, as they are not only the 

 most common plants as regards the number of the genera 

 and species, but especially as regards the number of indi- 

 viduals of one and the same species : covering immense 

 districts, they replace the Gramineee of other countries, and 

 give a character to all the open land of hills and plains. 

 Some of them grow to 30 feet and more in height; and 

 the variety and elegance of their forms, from the most 

 minute species to the giants of their kind, are astonishing. 

 Although 94 species of ferns are already known, every day 

 adds new treasures to our knowledge. There exist three 

 tree-ferns, the Cyathea medullaris, dealbata, Dicksonia 

 squarrosa. The Mahrattia elegans also assumes a tree-like 

 appearance: The Cyathea dealbata is the highest ; I 

 measured some 40 feet in length. These trees generally 

 grow in groups. 



The genera of ferns which are found in New Zealand 

 are Amongst the Lycopodiacece, the genera T'mesipteris 

 (1 sp.), Lycopodium (9) ; amongst the Filices, Botry- 

 chium (1), Ophioglossum (2), Gleichenia (2), Todea (1), 

 Ligodium (1), Schizaea (2), Grammites (2), Polypodium 

 (4), Niphobolus (2), Lomaria (6), Allantodia (1), Asple- 

 uium (7), Csenopteris (1), Doodia (3), Pteris (9), Adiantum 



