256 Transactions. — Botany. 



and extending to tip, but always supra-axillary and not terminal on 

 lobes ; valves free to base, convex, entire, sometimes slightly sinuate or un- 

 even at tip, not toothed, largely crested, the upper one most so, with 3-4 

 erect lamellae that are often high and nodding, and wider at apex than at 

 base, not " spinulose " nor " spinuloso-dentate." Eeceptacle very short, 

 ^ length of involucre, peduncled, clavate, finely puberulous, with sporangia 

 only around the tip ; sporangia few, very large, sessile ; sporules globular, 

 green, and enclosed in a fine transparent white membrane, separate from 

 the sporangium. 



Hah. On trunks and main branches of trees, hilly forests in the in- 

 terior, Seventy-mile Bush, County of Waipawa; 1860-84 : W.G. 



Obs. I. This fern has the same peculiar and strong though not unplea- 

 sant odour that pertains to a few other of our New Zealand ferns, and to 

 some of our foliaceous Hepatic®, which odour it long retains, as well as its 

 elasticity. It also stains paper, leaves of a book, etc., in which it is kept, 

 of a dark colour, often leaving a faithful outline impression. In exposed 

 dry situations, in hot dry weather, this fern will be seen dry and completely 

 rolled up ; but on rain falling it again recovers and expands, like some 

 mosses. It is generally found much gnawed and eroded by insects, more so 

 than other species of the genus (allured, probably, by its powerful odour), 

 so that it is rather difficult to obtain fully-developed uninjured specimens. 



Obs. II. I have long known this fern, and had early supposed it to be 

 distinct from H. polyanthos and sanguinolentum (possibly merely as a 

 variety or "sport," but still very distinct). During the last two years, 

 however, I have been induced to pay more attention to it ; to study and to 

 examine it closely and repeatedly in the living state and in all stages in its 

 native woods. An extra inducement thereto arose from my obtaining (in 

 addition to the " Flora Novas-Zelandiae," and the several commoner works 

 or compilations of ferns,) Hooker and G-rev. Ic. Filicum, Swartz (original) 

 Synopsis Filicum, Beddomes Ferns of British and Southern India. 

 Van den Bosch Hymen. Java, and Clarke's Beview of Ferns of Northern 

 India, drawn up and aided at Kew (Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. 1880 : 

 Botany, vol. i., part vii.), in all which works H. polyanthos and its allies 

 and synonyms are particularly described and investigated. And the conclu- 

 sion I have come to is, that this fern (H. lophocarpum) is really distinct 

 from H. polyanthos and sanguinolentum, and also from their synonyms 

 included as above. Indeed, in my opinion, there is no near affinity between 

 this fern and H. polyanthos, Sw. (as that is fully given in description drawing 

 and dissections by Hook, and Grev. in their Ic. Filicum, vol. ii., t. 

 128, which I take to be a type specimen of that species) ; H. polyanthos, 

 Sw., being also a West-Indian (Jamaica) fern. Neither is there any close 



