370 Transactions. — Botany. 



Art. XXXV. — On Lycopodium varium, B. Br., and L. billardieri, Spring., 

 with Description of a new Form. By T. Kirk, F.L.S. 

 [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 26th September, 1883.] 

 Plate XXIX. 

 It has long been recognized by New Zealand botanists that the plants 

 known as Lycopodium varium and L. billardieri are not separated by any 

 absolute characters, the differences relied upon to distinguish the two 

 depending chiefly upon the mode of growth and degree of luxuriance ex- 

 hibited, but up to the present time no attempt has been made either to 

 define the two so-called species by precise and constant characters or to 

 enumerate the chief distinctive peculiarities of the varieties comprised 

 under each. And in truth this is no easy matter, for a complete series may 

 be traced from the short leafy stems, and drooping tetragonous spikes of L. 

 varium to the elongated pendulous stems of L. billardieri, and from this 

 form again to the slender drooping stems and foliaceous spikes of an elegant 

 variety not hitherto described, so that although the extreme forms niay be 

 readily distinguished at sight, they are so closely connected by transitional 

 forms that it is impossible to lay down characters of sufficient value to be 

 available for specific distinction. I am therefore compelled to consider 

 L. billardieri as merely one of the varieties of L. varium, and propose the 

 following arrangement of the principal forms. 



Lycopodium varium, B. Br. 

 Bhizome short, stems short or elongated, sparingly or excessively 

 branched, erect, drooping or pendulous. Leaves J'-f" long, decurrent, 

 linear, lanceolate, obtuse or rarely acute, patent or closely appressed, gra- 

 dually passing into the abbreviated bracts of the spike. Spikes simple or 

 branched, sessile, tetragonous or foliaceous. 

 a. varium. 



L. varium, R. Br. in Fl. Prod. Aust. ; Hook. f. F. Nov. Zel., Handbk. N.Z. PI. 

 Stems 6"-15" high, erect, sparingly branched, rigid, leaves f" long, 

 spreading; spikes short, drooping, compact, tetragonous. 



Bupestral, rarely epiphytal. In mountain districts : Great Barrier 

 Island ; Cape Colville ; South Island ; Chatham Island. 



The most robust of all the varieties, and usually exhibiting the broadest 

 leaves. The spikes are stouter than in other varieties and rarely become 

 branched ; they show no tendency to become foliaceous. 



The most characteristic specimens that I have seen were collected by 

 Mr. H. H. Travers on the Chatham Islands and by myself on Mount Young. 

 /3. polaris. 



Stems erect, l£'-2' high, branched from the base, lower leaves spread- 

 ing, upper appressed and imbricating ; spikes drooping, simple or branched. 



