THE VASCULAR FLORA OF MACQUARIE ISLAND.—CHEESEMAN. 
41 
This species was added to the florula by A. Hamilton in 1894. He remarks 
(Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXVII, p. 569) that “ The habit is like that of L. Selago, but denser; 
the leaves are much broader. Seedling plants growing amongst the stems have distant 
oblong leaves. Found on the hills immediately behind Lusitania Bay.” His speci¬ 
mens were submitted to the late Mr. Kirk, who identified them as “ L. Billardieri 
Spreng. var. varium — equivalent to L. varium ll.Br. It was also collected by H. 
Hamilton, who states on the ticket accompanying his specimens that they were 
“ Localised to a wind-swept plateau alt. 500 feet, near South-east Harbour.” They have 
the habit and appearance of L. Selago, from which they differ mainly in forming dense 
much-branched compact tufts, often with an even surface at the top. The leaves are 
larger, broader, and more coriaceous. As is often the case in L. Selago, numerous 
gemma) occur among the leaves, and these often produce shoots sometimes 2-3 inches 
long, bearing distant ovate or oblong leaves. These shoots evidently answer to the 
“seedling plants” of A. Hamilton. The fructification is much more like that of 
L. Selago than that of the usual state of L. varium, for in most cases the sporangia are 
produced for a considerable distance down the branches in the axils of unaltered 
leaves, exactly as in L. Selago; but in two or three specimens the upper portion of the 
branches is slightly narrowed, and the leaves smaller, thus showing an approach to the 
spicate character of L. varium. But for these examples, I should have treated the 
plant as a form of L. Selago. 
Sir J. D. Hooker has repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that L. varium 
approaches very close to L. Selago on the one hand, and on the other appears to pass 
insensibly into L. Billardieri , thus “ blending the two divisions Selago and PhlegmariaS 
His remarks, given in the Flora Antarctica and Flora of New Zealand, may be read 
with profit at the present time. In the Flora of Tasmania (vol. II, pp. 155-156) he 
again recurs to the matter, figuring five states of L. varium collected in Tasmania, which 
appear to gradually approach L. Selago. Although New Zealand botanists are well 
acquainted with varieties linking up L. varium and L. Billardieri (see Kirk’s paper in 
Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. XVI, p. 376), I am not aware that an approach to L. Selago so 
close as that shown by the Macquarie Island plant has been previously recorded from 
the New Zealand area. 
States of L. varium are not uncommon in mountainous districts in New Zealand 
and throughout the islands to the south. The species is also found in Victoria and 
Tasmania. True L. Selago has not yet been definitely recorded from any of the 
southern circumpolar islands; but the closely allied L. Saururus Lam. exists in the 
Falkland Islands, Kerguelen Island, Marion Island, and Tristan d’Acunha. It is 
quite possible that the Macquarie Island plant may be referable to it, but L. Saururus 
appears to have stouter stems, and larger and narrower leaves; so that I hesitate to 
unite the two without having an opportunity of comparing specimens of both. 
38864—F 
