Knight. — Description of a new species of Thysanothecium. 385 



tary, lateral spikelets, 2-3 one always pedunculate, 3-flowered glumes im- 

 bricated, ovate-lanceolate, margins scarious. Bristles 6 shorter than the 

 style, stigmas 3 ; nut triquetrous. 



Hab. — North Island — at remarkable saline springs, Glenburn, Bast 

 Coast. Forming large masses in the immediate vicinity of the springs. 

 Allied to S. paucijiorus, Hook, f., but a much smaller, less tufted plant, with 

 narrower, shorter spikelets, and broader glumes. 



Agkostis muscosa, n.s. 



A small grass forming wide jiatches, not more than one inch in height. 

 Boot creeping. Leaves longer than the culms, filiform, flaccid, more or 

 less recurved, ligule minute lacerate. Panicle hidden among the leaves, re- 

 curved, i"-^" in height, few flowers. Empty glumes, equal, scabrid at the 

 margin. Flowering glumes, ovate, truncate. Pale 0. Ladicule acute. 

 Agrostis canina and B. subulata; " Hand Book N.Z. Flora," in part. Ag- 

 rostis subulata, t. XX. " Buchanan N.Z. Grasses." 



Hab. — South Island. Broken Eiver basin, and other places in Canter- 

 bury. Lake district of Otago. Probably not uncommon in mountain dis- 

 tricts in the South Island, but easily overlooked. In the " Hand Book of 

 the N. Z. Flora," this species is confused with Agrostis subulata. Mr. Bu- 

 chanan has fallen into the same error in his " Indigenous Grasses of New 

 Zealand," where he figures the present plant as Agrostis canina, L. B. subu- 

 lata, and unaccountably identifies it with the Agrostis subulata of " Hooker's 

 Flora Antartica," t. LIIL, a much larger grass with erect panicles. 



This species is probably common in the South Island, although I have 

 only collected it in the districts mentioned. So far as I am aware it has 

 not been observed in the North Island. 



Agrostis subulata, Hook, f. " Fl. Antartica," t. LIIL, differs from our 

 plant in the erect keeled leaves, which are narrow and slightly keeled, never 

 fihform ; the panicle is much larger, erect, never recurved, and although 

 hidden amongst the leaves at first, yet when fully matured it slightly ex- 

 ceeds them in length. 



Abt. LI. — Descripition of a new species of Thysanothecium collected by 



Mr. Buchanan during his recent expedition to the Southern Alps. 



By Chables Knight, F.R.C.S., F.L.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 12th February, 1881.] 



Plate XVII. 



Among Mr. Buchanan's plants, lately collected in the Southern Alps, there 



is a remarkable Lichen gathered on Mount Aspiring Eange at an elevation 



49 



