Kirk.— 0?^ a new S2oecies of Isoetes. 377 



Any abnormal state of growth seems not to affect the health of the tree, as 

 mottled kauri trees are often the largest and soundest. The beauty of this 

 timber and its effect in furniture are often marred by injudicious selection. 

 Not only do trees vary in their mottled character, but by judicious sawing a 

 great variety can be obtained from one tree, and nothing has a worse appear- 

 ance in furniture — ^however well made — than an indiscriminate loading of 

 mouldings, framing, pilaster, and panels, with rich and heavy mottled kauri. 



Art. LYIII. — Description of a new Species of Isoetes. — By T. Kirk, F.L.S. 



Plate XXV. 

 \Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 2Qth August, 1874.] 



The genus Isoetes has been added to the New Zealand flora since the pub- 

 lication of the Handbook, the first species having been discovered in the 

 Waikato Lakes by Captain F. W. Hutton and myself in 1869. The 

 plant which forms the subject of the present notice was discovered by Captain 

 Hutton and Mr. "W. T. L. Travers three years later in Lake Guyon, Nelson, 

 at an altitude of 3,000 feet. I am indebted to Mr. Travers for specimens. 



Not having the opportunity of referring to the recently described austral 

 species of this genus, I can only venture to offer a brief diagnosis under the 

 provisional name of /. alpinus^ and indicate its chief points of difference from 

 the lowland species, /. hirhii, Braun. 



Isoetes alpinuSj n.s. 

 Fronds numerous, ten to fifty or more, stout, rigid 4" — 6'' long j phyllo- 

 podes extremely dilated, with the border produced for some distance along the 

 edge of the frond ; sporangium broadly elliptic, 4-septate ; ligule minute, 

 triangular j macrospores globose, perfectly smooth, except the faint tricrural 

 line ; microspores ovate, closely tuberculated, faintly angled, longitudinal 

 furrow obscure. 



Hob. — Lake Guyon, Nelson, alt. 3,000 feet — Messrs. Hutton and Travers j 

 Lake Pearson, Canterbury, if I am correct in identifying a very imperfect 

 specimen collected by Dr. Berggren with the present plant. 



Solitary specimens of Isoetes alpinus often exhibit from sixty to seventy 

 crowded fronds, radiating in a circle of from six to seven inches diameter. The 

 central vascular portion of the frond is also largely developed. 



Our plant is readily distinguished from /. hirhii by its robust habit and 

 larger size : and especially by the smooth macrospores and tuberculated 

 microspores. 



Plate XXV. — Isoetes alpinus, nat. size. — Fig. 5, Phyllopodium contain- 

 ing macrospores. 6, Sporangium. 7, Transverse section of ditto. 8, Macros- 

 pores. 9, Microspores. 



zl 



