Colenso. — On the Botany of New Zealand. 351 



short, 1— li lines long, with small fine rootlets at base ; fructification on the 

 upper side, scattered, mostly on nerve near the middle of the frond, some- 

 times near the base, and sometimes at the forking but above it, and not 

 unfrequently two on a frond ; involucre broad, subplicate, deeply and finely 

 laciniate, sometimes three occur on a branchlet ; calyptra cylindric, two 

 lines long, whitish, glabrous, slightly rugulose, with delicate small fimbriae 

 at the mouth ; peduncle slender, 8-12 lines long ; capsule linear, obtuse, 

 1 line long, glossy dark brown, valves not cohering at tips ; spores circular, 

 presenting a ringed appearance ; cellules very minute, chain-like, irregular 

 in shape and size, mostly pentagonal. 



Hab. On clay banks, sides of streamlets near Norsewood, 1878-83 

 (but barren): W.C. Petane, near Napier, September, 1883: Mr. A. 

 Hamilton ; profusely in fruit. 



Obs. — A species having alliance with S. subsimplex, Mitten, and S. pro- 

 lifera, mihi (infra), but very distinct from both. Occasionally, however, a 

 frond is met with slightly rooting from its centre, below the fruit-point, or 

 from becoming recumbent, and sometimes, though rarely, by throwing out 

 lateral fronds from its base. A few young fronds are also found intermixed, 

 very narrow long and pointed ; these, I am inclined to believe, enlarge their 

 pagina afterwards. 

 3. S. melanoneuron, sp. nov. 



Plant small, single (?), stipitate, erect ; frond rerriform in outline, 7-8 

 lines broad, 4-5 lines long, forked, once or twice divided, stoutish, wavy, 

 colour dark olive, cellules small, oblong ; segments few, sublinear-oblong, 

 short, about 1| lines or more wide, not divided deeply, not decurrent on 

 stipe, very slightly and distantly serrulated towards bases net above, tips 

 largely emarginate ; midrib stout, almost black, not extending to tips, in 

 some segments midrib forked at tips ; stipe 6-9 lines long, stoutisb, black- 

 brown ; involucre small, simply 2-3 times notched, on upper surface at 

 second forkings above, 2-3 on a frond ; aniheridia on lower surface, under 

 minute ovate leaf-like scales, scattered on both sides of the midrib. 



Hab. — On clay banks under ferns, &c, dark forests near Norsewood, 

 1879-83 : W.C. ; and at Great Barrier Islet, 1883 : Mr. C. P. Winhelmann. 



Obs. — This is another peculiar-looking species, of which I should have 

 liked to have had better fruiting specimens. It is a rather scarce species 

 and generally barren. I have long known it in this state, and I should not 

 care now to describe it had I not been engaged lately in studying and 

 working-up the several species I have described in this paper — besides my 

 well-knowing all the other published N.Z. species of this genus. I have, 

 therefore, no doubt of its being quite distinct as a species from all of them, 

 although I find it hard to describe plainly in a few words its characteristic 



