Akmstbong. — On the Occurrence of the Morel in New Zealand. 343 



long. Stameiis tAvo. Ovary two-celled, inferior. Styles two. Cajysule longer 

 than the calyx, coriaceous, dehiscing near the top by the falling away of the 

 summit. Seeds very minute, numerous, ovoid-oblong. 



Hab. — Throughout the South Island abundant in alpine swamps from 

 2,000-6,000 feet altitude. 



This plant is very closely allied to Helophyllum, and perhaps should be 

 united with that genus. It may not be congeneric with the Fuegian plant 

 on which Donatia was originally founded by Forster. 



Akt. XLIV. — On the Occurrence of the Morel (Morchella esculenta, PI.) in 

 New Zecdand. By J. B. Armsteong. 



{Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 2nd Septemb&r, 1880.] 

 The object of this short paper is to place on record the discovery in New 

 Zealand of the well-known European edible fungus, popularly known as the 

 morel, and called by botanists Morchella escidenta, Pers. About three years 

 ago a number of specimens of this plant were found growing in the Christ- 

 church Botanic Garden, under the shade of some large trees of Eucalyptus 

 globulus, Lmk. At first we supposed the plant to be a recent introduction, 

 but as so many other European fungi are found in New Zealand, and as the 

 morel occurs in Australia and in nearly all other countries, I now feel satis- 

 fied that we may look u]pon it as indigenous to our colony. The morel 

 belongs to the sub-order Ascomycetes and to the tribe Elvellacei, and is 

 described by Berkeley as follows : — 



Gen. Morchella, Dillenius. 



Eeceptacle clavate or pileate, impervious in the centre, stipitate, covered 

 with the hymenium which is deeply folded and pitted. 



M. esculenta, Persoon. 



Pileus ovate, conical or sub-cylindrical, adnate at the base, ribs firm, 

 anastomosing and forming dee'p pits, stem even. 



In woods and gardens, esculent, varying much in breadth and height, 

 sometimes almost cylindrical. 



British specimens are often 4 or 5 inches high, but all the New Zealand 

 specimens I have yet seen were considerably smaller ; their diminutive size, 

 however, may have been owing to the poverty of the soil in which they were 

 grown. The colour of our specimens was a dull brown, whilst Em'opean 

 ones are described as olive-coloured. In the arrangement published in 



