Colenso. — On the Botany of New Zealand. 353 



base of the stipe ; stipe 3-6 lines long, slender, rosy-red ; fructification on 

 midrib upper surface, nearer the apex than the base ; involucre small, trifid, 

 laciniate, laciniations acuminate sharp ; calyptra substipitate, stout, H lines 

 long, much fimbriated at top, dilated and laciniate at mouth ; peduncle 

 slender, short, 3-4 lines long ; capsule large, nearly 2 lines long, linear, 

 obtuse, truncate at base, light-brown ; cellules pretty regular, suborbicular- 

 pentagonal ; antheridia under small deltoid jagged scales, in short linear 

 masses on the midrib near the top of separate fronds, that are usually 

 narrower and longer. 



Hab. High and dry woods near Norsewood, 1878-1882 : W.C. Pohue, 

 high lands near Petane, Hawke's Bay, 1883 : Mr. A. Hamilton. 



Obs. — This small and simple species very much resembles some of the 

 linear unbranched fronds of S. subsimplex, to which species it is closely 

 allied ; and indeed it was for some time by me taken for it, but on close 

 examination and dissection I found several differences: e.g., this species is 

 never branched or forked, has generally much more attenuated fronds with 

 a keeled and coloured midrib, and longer stipes that are rosy red, its 

 involucral scale is sharply laciniate, and, beyond all, it differs greatly in the 

 form of its cellules, which, in S. subsimplex, are distinctly "hexagonal." It 

 has caused me much study to determine its specific difference, for, though I 

 have collected plenty of specimens, there are but few among them in full 

 fruit. 

 6. S. megalolepis, sp. nov. 



Plant terrestrial, gregarious, stipitate, erect, rising from a slender and 

 long rhizome, roots stoutish, white, closely intermixed, each frond about 1 

 inch apart on rhizome ; frond fan-shaped, flat, slightly waved, 6-8 lines long, 

 4-7 lines broad at top, divided into two main branches that are generally 

 again once or twice divided ; segments broadly linear, sub-imbricate, broadly 

 decurrent on upper part of stipe, margins entire, apices sub-rotund and 

 emarginate ; stipe 6-9 lines long, slender, sub-flexuose ; whole plant very 

 pale green, delicate and highly transparent, cellules orbicular ; involucre on 

 under surface, immediately above lowest fork of veins, very large, apparently 

 double (?) — the outer scale being more than 2 lines broad at top, extending 

 quite across lower forkings, orbicular-reniforrn, loose and slightly waved, 

 margin quite entire, the inner scale, as seen through the outer, small, 

 green, and much laciniate, with a tumid swelling at the base — sometimes 

 two involucral scales on a frond, the upper one smaller and above the 

 upper fork, nerves throughout strong and extending quite to tips, and 

 biserial in the upper part of stipe ; antheridia under minute jagged scales, 

 in scattered circular spots and tubercles, at forkings of veins and on both 

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