Colenso. — On the Botany of New Zealand. 357 



long, l|-2i lines broad, simple, and branched once twice forked, linear, 

 much sinuate and waved, brittle, margins entire, densely clothed below 

 with brown rootlets, dilated at apices, which are round emarginate, and 

 sometimes 3-lobed through extension of midrib ; fructification on the upper 

 surface ; involucre usually trifid and sharply laciniate, sometimes 2-3 invo- 

 lucral scales scattered on a frond ; calyptra large 2-2£ lines long, sub-stipi- 

 tate, tubular, sub-infimdibuliform, slightly rugulose with large and stout 

 tuberculated fimbria ; mouth oblique or bifid, sometimes 1-2-3 on a frond 

 both below and above forks ; peduncle 6-12 lines long, stout ; capsule 1 line 

 long, cylindric, obtuse, black, bursting in a round mass ; valves narrow, 

 slightly cohering at tips; spores black, circular, and muricated; elaters red- 

 brown, geminate, twisted very closely, pointed at tips ; cellules large, 

 broadly-oblong, usually sub-quadrangular, but irregular in shape and size. 



Hab. On clayey soil, damp shaded sides of watercourses, near Norse- 

 wood, 1880: W.C. Also at Petane, near Napier, 1883 : Mr. A. Hamilton ; 

 sometimes creeping over stems of the larger mosses. 



Obs. — This is a very peculiar-looking species, and one that, in its barren 

 state, I should scarcely have deemed to belong to this genus, looking more 

 like a Marchantia in habit, or even an Aneura (especially A. imbricata, 

 sp. nov., mihi, infra), in the almost total absence of any central nerve. It 

 serves, however, in its frond and habit as a natural approach towards those 

 two allied genera. It is very distinct from all our other known species of 

 Symphyogyna. When creeping over the stems of mosses it adheres but 

 loosely and at intervals. It is so extremely brittle in texture that it is 

 difficult to preserve or procure a good specimen. It is also a scarce 

 species. 



Genus 32. Aneura, Dumort. 

 1. Aneura alba, sp. nov. 



Plant small, erect, densely compact, of dwarf moss- or scale-like 

 growth, much resembling the small horizontal scales of some species of 

 Cladonia ; frond whitish or greenish- white, 3-4 lines long, main stems 

 creeping, flattened, thickish, shining, under a lens microscopically bullate, 

 sub-orbicular and cuneate in outline, sub-palmate, digitate and irregularly 

 laciniate, lobes obtuse and retuse, abounding in fruit, sometimes a capsule 

 to each lacinia, margins entire ; areola rather large, confused not clear ; 

 involucre small, subovate, jagged, roughish ; calyptra 2 lines long, much 

 tuberculated especially at tip before bursting ; tubercles in little lumps or 

 fascicles ; mouth nearly entire ; peduncle 2-3 lines long, stout, striate ; 

 capsule ^ line long, narrow-oblong, purple-black, shining, striate. 



Hab. Growing with mosses among grasses and other small herbage, 

 shaded banks, Scinde Island, Napier, 1883 : W.C. 



