Aemstrong. — Descriptio7i of new Plants. 361 



subacute, produced at the base and continued downwards as in most other 

 species of the genus, glandular-pubescent. ' Petals 5, the two upper smallest, 

 the three lower much larger, the central lower one gibbous or slightly 

 spurred at the base, the tip incurved and held in by the two side ones ; all 

 pure white ; stamens 5, hypogynous ; filaments very broad, short, and mem- 

 braneous; connective membraneous, broad, and continued above the anthers 

 into a broad, slightly-hooded or flat appendage. Anthers apparently not 

 spurred. Style declinate, very short and stout. Stigma oblique, slightly 

 pitted. Ovary either glabrous or pubescent. Capsule \-\ inch long, 1- 

 celled, either glabrous or pubescent, 3-valved, surmounted by the remains 

 of the style. Seeds numerous, on parietal placentas. Other characters as in 

 the genus. 



Hab. — Stewart Island — Rev. Mr. Stack, 1879. Apparently an inhabi- 

 tant of bogs on the outskirts of woods. 



Flowers from November to March. 



This curious and remarkable little plant was picked out of a tuft of 

 a Cyathodes, brought from Stewart Island by Mr. Stack and presented by 

 him to the Christchurch Public Garden. It appears to be perfectly distinct 

 from all the other New Zealand violets in all its parts, and is readily 

 distinguished when growing by the reniform hairy leaves, much resembling 

 the foliage of some of our native species of Hydrocotyle, with which the plant 

 also coincides in habit. 



It is evident that the flora of Stewart Island is at present very imper- 

 fectly known, and some efforts should be made to explore the whole island 

 thoroughly. Such an exploration might prove highly valuable and instructive 

 in connection with the important study of the geographical distribution of 

 New Zealand plants. 



Aspleniiim canterburiense, n. sp. 

 The Canterbury Spleen wort. 



Dif. char. — Fronds lanceolate sub-coriaceous, bi-pinnate, pubescent. 

 Pinnae lanceolate, or deltoid-cuneate, sori covering the whole under surface. 



Description. — Rhizome short, tufted, clothed with black, acuminate, 

 narrow-lanceolate scales. Fronds tufted, lanceolate, acuminate, erect, 2- 

 pinnate, 3-8 inches long, 2-4 inches wide, rather coriaceous in texture, 

 dark-green, clothed with minute pubescence on both surfaces. Stipes and 

 rachis slender, pale coloured, minutely pubescent or slightly scaley and 

 silky, at the base. Pinna deltoid-cuneate below, linear-oblong-cuneate 

 above, alternate or opposite, ^-2 inches long, stipitate, acute ; pinnules 

 stalked, ovate-oblong, acute, with cuneate bases, lower deeply pinnatifid, 

 upper confluent, entire or toothed; segments linear-lanceolate, acute; sori, 

 one to a segment. Indusium linear-falcate, whitish-membraneous, some 



38 



