258 BRYOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND. 
ous specimens I have in my Herbarium of the above plants I possess 
nly 
leaf, the presence or otherwise of a pale border, the denticulation of 
the auricles, and the length of the nerve; ae tor the most part I find 
these characters ill-defined and elusive, and t ome extent misleading. 
I am inclined to think that a more valuable pe tea is to be drawn 
from ike Saath and appearance of the leaves when dry, especially 
the leaves on the more robust branches—the stem leaves and the leaves 
of the more slender, flagelliform branches are apt to be less charac- 
teristic ;—I have attempted to draw up a Key relying mostly on this 
character, which I believe will be helpful, though I cannot hope that 
it will solve all the difficulties. 
(a) The leaves when dry may be convex and smooth at back, not 
furrowed nor striate nor with the nerve prominent. In this case they 
may be wide, short, very short Saat and closely imbrieated, or 
they may be more or ‘agp lonkdy: se ing, and while imbricated, ‘less 
closely so. The apex is more or less distinctly eer ved. The species 
me yi type of foliation are P. filipendula, P. flexicaulis, and P. 
mblya 
(e is ‘The leaves may be erect and more or less rigidly appressed, 
rigid, not flexuose nor undulate, with the nerve stout an nd prominent 
that the leaves are longitudinally plicate. Apex not reeurved. P. 
crocea. 
The leaves may be erect and more or less_ rigidly hadi 
but less closely than in (b), with the margins more or les 
and undulate, be that the leaves are not convex at back. So ae firs 
approach P. crocea, but as a rule the leaves in (¢) are much less rigid 
and straight, ie pe eo appressed to the stem, so as to leave faarked 
interstices betw een a - and usually the acumen is longer and more 
tlexuose. P. st bata. 
d) The leaves ps dry are scarcely altered in position, being 
straight, and rigidly Sramate, not appresse sed, and not undulate or 
flexuose ; they are less crowded than i in the previous species, and this 
with the slender habit renders the species quite distinct. P. niti- 
diuscula, 
Key TO SPECIES UNDER (a). 
ae slender, subfiliform; leaves very small, nar- 
w, longly and finely acuminate, often subpiliferous 2. filipendula 
b t finely acuminate nor piliferous point 1. flexicaulis 
Usually Fobust; branch leaves pals closely imbricated 
(so tha e branches are terete), very wide and 
short, aie ~ in . gain short, aes cusp 
or ancre' ©... 3. amblyacis 
1. Papillaria flexicaulis (Tayl.) Jaeg. Adumbr. ii, 175. 
Syn. eg cece Tayl. Ms. ae Fete Hf. & 
W., » 101 sine Handb. N.Z. Fl., p. 460. 
The Finny of a ta the Handbook is caniondtna as it 
ineludes P. filipendula. This. is, doa very closely allied, and I 
