Kirk. — On ihc Ocnirreiice nf J ixncns glaiicus in Xfw Zealand. 393 



According to Dr. Asclierson, the typical form Z. nana has a wide 

 distribution, occurring at the Canary Islands, Mediterranean, North Coast 

 of Sicily, Smyrna, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Portugal, Spain, France, 

 British Islands, Holland, Denmark, Holstein, Japan, Cape of Good Hope, 

 Port Natal, Nossi Beh. 



Var. muelleri has been collected on the coasts of Chili, South and East 

 Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. 



Zostera tasmanica, G. v. Martens, is said to occur in New Zealand, but I 

 do not know by whom collected. The plant intended is probably that 

 referred to in the early part of this paper as Z. marina ; but in any case the 

 identification cannot be considered satisfactory in the absence of flowers, 

 since it is possible that our plant may belong to Phucagrostis, which it 

 closely resembles in habit. 



Art. LV. — Notice of the Occurrence of Juncus glaucus, L., in Neiv Zealand. 



By T. Kirk, F.L.S. 

 [Read before the Otago Institute, llth Jamiary, 1878.] 



In company with Captain J. Campbell-Walker I had the pleasure of 

 discovering this interesting addition to our flora by the road-side between 

 Hokitika and Boss, within a mile of the left bank of the Hokitika river, I 

 had not time to make a detailed examination of the locality, but Mr. 

 Shillitoe, who kindly went over it at my request, informs me that the plant 

 occurs plentifully over a considerable area. 



Juncus glaucus bears some resemblance to J. communis, Meyer, but is 

 distinguished by its hard texture, interrupted pith, and glaucous striate 

 rigid culms; the perianth segments are lanceolate and equal the capsule" 

 in length ; the capsule is mucronate. 



The culms are two to three feet in length, frequently di'ooping in large 

 specimens. 



In J. communis, var. he.vangularis, the pith is sometimes slightly inter- 

 rupted, but never to so great an extent as in J. glaucus, from which it may 

 always be distinguished by the retuse capsule. 



In all probability Juncus glaucus is not unfi-equent on the west coast of 

 the South Island. It is singular that this species, as well as J. lamprocarpus, 

 Ehrhart, should not have been observed earlier. The latter species is 

 abundant in the Hokitika district, extending southward to the Bluff and 

 northward to Port Nicholson, but is not found on the eastern side of either 

 island. In Taranaki and Auckland it is replaced by Juncus holoschcenus, 

 Thunb. yl 



