Hottoway.—Studies in the New Zealand Hymenophyllaceae. 577 
Art. 43.—Studies in the New Zealand Hymenophyllaceae: Part I— 
The Distribution of the Species in Westland, and their Growth-forms. 
By the Rev. J. E. Hottoway, D.Sc., F.N.Z.Inst., Hutton Memorial Medallist. 
[Read before the ‘Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, Ist December, 1920; received by 
Editor, 5th December, 1921 ; issued separately, 8th June, 1923 J ; 
Plates 56—76. 
sect OF татав: Page 
Introductory . es ? Б; „э 071 
I. List of the peci A s. DID 
II. The Climate and Forest-c -covering of Westland - P .. 581 
The Distribution of er Species in Westland {4 so 685: 
D A. The Groups of Species le P their Occurrence 28 2:586 
В. елер, о of Two 599 
C. The Gro а and i their Relation more especially to 
the Vertical Distribution 
D. The Sekine of the Distribution of the Species upon the 
Su m of the CUNT? of the comen d > 
IV. General Conclusio is 1:2 510 
V. Literature cited .. X v » vi oo OLS 
INTRODUCTORY. 
THE Нушепору си constitute опе of the most interesting of modern 
fern families, by reason of the fact that the family as a whole shows adapta- 
In the present and following papers I propose to set out the results of my 
studies in the New Zealand members of the family, basing my account of 
the distribution and of the growth-forms of the species upon what I learned 
as to their occurrence in the wet district of Westland, and in Part II com- 
paring with these facts the ecology of the family as I have learned it in 
the drier parts of New Zealand. In the second paper I shall also bring 
together those facts concerning the general distribution of the species 
е New Zealand generally, and in the outlying islands belonging 
the New Zealand Biological Region, which are contained in various 
otio papers in the он > the Transactions of the New Zealand 
the Hyon of Foals in their rive habitat. He deals with 
the vertical and the regional distribution of the greater number of these 
species, and he describes a number of illuminating physiological experiments 
conducted by him with the purpose of ascertaining the exact relation of the 
species to the water-supply si their ability to withstand dryin 
New Zealand is well known to be a special centre of distribution of the 
Hymenophyllaceae. In rol number of species this family constitutes 
one-fifth of the entire fern flora of this country, embracing twenty-seven 
species, of which twenty belong to the genus Hymenophyllum and seven to 
Trichomanes. In the heavy taxad forests of the western districts, and more 
especially of Westland in the South Island, where the proximity of the 
high mountain-ranges to the coast-line causes the rainfall to be exception- 
ally heavy, the Hymenophyllaceae attain a notable luxuriance, and abound 
19—T Trans. 
