218 Transactions. — Botany, 



covering moist banks with its rigid drooping fronds half hidden amongst 

 Dicranum menziesii, at others exhibiting exceptional luxuriance and grace on 

 the trunks of trees. 



The most striking feature of the fern flora (next to the abundance of 

 tree-ferns) is afforded by the numerous varieties of Asplenium bulbiferum, 

 A. obtusatum, A. falcatum, and A. flaccidum ; in many cases these varieties 

 are extremely beautiful and attractive, but merge into each other by such 

 minute gradations that it is often a matter of difficulty to determine the 

 species to which certain varieties should be referred. The occurrence of 

 Asplenium falcatum, A. obtusatum, etc., in masses covering many square 

 yards, to the exclusion of all other forms, is not often seen in other 

 localities. 



The trees are more or less clothed with mosses and foliaceous lichens, 

 while terrestrial Hepaticse are unusually abundant, and on the whole form 

 the most striking feature in this section of the flora. The genus Gottschea 

 is especially well developed. Specimens of G. appendiculata were collected 

 from 7"-9" in length : a species new to science was remarkable on account 

 of its dichotomous branching and habit forming loose rounded patches 

 of a yellowish-green tint. 



The vegetation of the open peaty valleys between Paterson's Inlet and 

 Mason's Bay is of a very different character. On the margins of streams 

 a dense growth of shrubs usually exhibits great luxuriance, and consists 

 chiefly of Olearia avicennicefolia, 0. nitida, Leptospermum scoparium, Veronica 

 salicifolia, V. buxifolia : the last named exhibiting much greater luxuriance 

 than in its usual mountain habitat, while the former is of smaller size than 

 in the north. Under the shelter of the larger shrubs Gaultheria perplexa is 

 abundant, and is frequently associated with Gleichenia cunninghamii. 



On the open land Gleichenia dicarpa is abundant, varying from stunted 

 specimens 2" high with a single whorl of branches, to luxuriant stems 

 18" high with from 6 to 9 whorls. Lycopodium ramulosum covers acres of 

 ground, when growing in the open its short stout branches present a stunted 

 appearance. In places where'fire had passed over the valley, the blanched 

 dichotomous stems with their persistent leaves presented so close a resem- 

 blance to the European Selaginella helvetica, that one was repeatedly impelled 

 to examine the plant afresh. In shade the plant is extremely luxuriant, 

 but invariably prostrate in habit. Hundreds of acres were covered with the 

 wiry stems of Hypolana lateriflora, almost to the exclusion of other plants. 

 Carpha alpina was abundant as well as Oreobolus stricta ; but 0. pumilio 

 occurred only in small quantity, and in a single locality on the west coast. 

 Drosera arcturi was extremely rare ; D. binata and D. spathulata were plen- 

 tiful. Centrolepis monogyna formed rounded velvety-looking masses at the 



