64 



Lange (Dansk Flora, 687) include B. rutaceum in B. Lunaria, but 

 uphold B. Matricarise as a species, whilst Alex. Braun (in DcElling. 

 Rhein. Flor. 24) and Koch (Synops. Flor. German, iii. 972) regard 

 all three plants as specifically different. 



B. Virginicum quoted by Dr. Hooker as identical with B. terna- 

 tum is liept distinct by Torrey and Chapman, and has as yet not 

 been found in any part of Australia, but occurs in Russia, specimina 

 collected near Petersburg and communicated by Dr. Regel fully 

 corresponding to American ones gathered in Connecticut and sent 

 by Prof A. Gray. For the illustration of this plant Plukenet's figure 

 (Amalth. t. 427, fig. 8) is evidently intended. B. daucifolium (Wall, 

 in Hook. & Grev. Icon. Filic. t. 161 ; Bot. Mag. 5, 340) and B. sub- 

 carnosum, both received from Mr. Thwaites as gathered in Ceylon, 

 may mediate a transit from B. Virginicum to B. tematum. Dr. 

 Hooker is inclined to refer all known Botrychia to two species. To 

 the writer of these pages it seems by no means improbable, that all 

 are the offsprings of one species, in. which three primary varieties 

 may be recognized. 



Trichomanes venosum. 



E. Brown, Prodr. 159 ; Hook. & Grev. loon. Filio. t. 78 ; Hook. Spec. Filio. 



i. 132 ; J. Hook. Plor. Nov. Zeel. ii. 17 ; Flor. Tasm. ii. 135. 



On mossy stems of fern-trees of Chatham-Island. 

 In the Australian Continent limited to the south-eastern fern- 

 tree country. 



Hymenophyllum demissum. 



Swartz, Synops. Filio. 147 et 374 ; Schkuhr, Farnkrseuter, 135, t. 135, C. ; 

 Willd. Spec. Plant, v. 529 ; A. Eioli. Voy. de 1' Astrolabe, i. 92 ; Hook. 

 Spec. Filio. i. 109 ; J. Hook. Flor. Nov. Zeel. i. 14 ; H. flabellatum, 

 Labill. Nov. HoU. Plant. Speoim. ii. 101, t. 250, B. ; R. Br. Prodr. 159 ; 

 J. Hook. Fl. Nov. Zeel. ii. 15 ; Fl. Tasm. ii. 134 ; H. nitens, E. Brown, 

 Prodr. 159 ; Hook, et Grev. loon. Filic. t. 197 ; Trichomanes demissa, 

 Forat. Prodr. 468. 



On mossy stems of fern-trees of Chatham-Island. 



In Australia restricted to the south-eastern fern-tree gullies. 



Our collections are not sufficiently extensive to offer from their 

 investigation a complete synonymy of this species, but they are 

 sufficiently convincing of the fact that the islands of New Zealand 

 possess very few and Australia probably but two real species of this 

 genus. The winged rachis and stipes afford no positive mark for 

 specific discrimination and perhaps neither the indument. The 



