918 Transactions.— Botany. 
covering moist banks with its rigid drooping fronds half hidden amongst 
Dicranum menziesii, at others exhibiting exceptional luxuriance and grace on 
the trunks of trees. 
The most striking feature of the fern flora (next to the abundance of 
tree-ferns) is afforded by the numerous varieties of Asplenium bulbiferum, 
A. obtusatum, A. falcatum, and A. flaccidum ; in many cases these varieties 
are extremely beautiful and attractive, but merge into each other by such 
minute gradations that it is often a matter of difficulty to determine the 
species to which certain varieties should be referred. The occurrence of 
Asplenium faleatum, A. obtusatum, etc., in masses covering many square 
yards, to the exclusion of all other forms, is not often seen in other 
localities. 
The trees are more or less clothed with mosses and foliaceous lichens, 
while terrestrial Hepatice are unusually abundant, and on the whole form 
the most striking feature in this section of the flora. The genus Gottschea 
is especially well developed. Specimens of G. appendiculata were collected 
from 7/-9' in length: a species new to science was remarkable on account 
of its dichotomous branching and habit forming loose rounded patches 
of a yellowish-green tint. 
The vegetation of the open peaty valleys between Paterson's Inlet and 
Mason's Bay is of a very different character. On the margins of streams 
& dense growth of shrubs usually exhibits great luxuriance, and consists 
chiefly of Olearia avicenniafolia, O. nitida, Leptospermum scoparium, Veronica 
salicifolia, V. buxifolia: the last named exhibiting much greater luxuriance 
than in its usual mountain habitat, while the former is of smaller size than 
in the north. Under the shelter of the larger shrubs Gaultheria perplexa is 
abundant, and is frequently associated with Gleichenia cunninghamii. 
On the open land Gleichenia dicarpa is abundant, varying from stunted 
specimens 2" high with a single whorl of branches, to luxuriant stems 
18' high with from 6 to 9 whorls. Lycopodium ramulosum covers acres of 
ground, when growing in the open its short stout branches present a stunted 
appearance. In places where fire had passed over the valley, the blanched 
dichotomous stems with their persistent leaves presented so close a resem- 
blance to the European Selaginella helvetica, that one was repeatedly impelled 
to examine the plant afresh. In shade the plant is extremely luxuriant, 
but invariably prostrate in habit. Hundreds of acres were covered with the 
wiry stems of Hypolena lateriflora, almost to the exclusion of other plants. 
Carpha alpina was abundant as well as Oreobolus stricta; but O. pumilio 
oceurred only in small quantity, and in a single locality on the west coast. 
Drosera arcturi was extremely rare; D. binata and D. spathulata were plen- 
tiful. Centrolepis monogyna formed rounded velvety-looking masses at the 
