66  Plants  Which  in  Drying  Stain  Paper.  {AFebrOua^ryT?9a07m, 
SCROPHULARIACEiE . 
The  Veronicas  are  very  interesting  in  this  connection,  affording  a 
dark  purplish  stain.  This  is  seen  in  Australian  species  including 
V.  formosa,  R.  Br.,  V.  nivea,  Lindl.,  V.  arenaria,  Cunn.  Amongst 
New  Zealand  species  we  have  V.  vernicosa,  Hook,  f.,  V.  loganioides, 
Armstrong,  V.  Lyalli,  Hook,  f.,  and  V.  Traversi,  Hook.  f.  In  Euro- 
pean species  I  have  noticed  it  in  V.  fruticulosa,  Linn,  (very  abundant); 
V.  alpina,  Linn. ;  V.  serpy ill 'folia,  Linn.  (England) ;  V.  saxatilis,  Jacq. 
(Switzerland). 
VERBENACE^. 
Lippia  nodiflora,  Linn.  I  notice  a  stain  in  one  specimen  from 
Byron  Bay,  N.  S.  Wales,  but  not  in  specimens  from  other  parts  of 
the  world. 
*        *        *  * 
I  have  taken  no  cognizance  of  Cryptogams,  but  Mr.  Richard 
Helms,  a  member  of  our  Society,  has  obligingly  exhibited  some 
species  of  Hymenophyllum,  and  has  furnished  the  following  notes  on 
them  : — "  There  are  three  species  of  New  Zealand  ferns  known  to 
me  which  stain  the  drying  paper.  These  are  Hymenophyllum  poly- 
anthos,  H.  villosum  and  H.  bivalve. 
"  There  is  no  difficulty  with  ordinary  care  to  dry  the  filmy  ferns 
in  their  natural  colors,  and  each  of  these  mentioned  are  no  excep- 
tion. H.  polyanthos  sometimes  develops  fronds  to  seven  inches 
(without  the  stalk)  which  are  of  a  dense  dark  green,  and  show  the 
venation  indistinctly,  making  when  first  dried  exceptionally  hand, 
some  specimens.  Soon  after  getting  perfectly  dry  this  fern  develops 
a  peculiar,  rather  strong  odor,  of  which  I  do  not  know  anything 
similar.  It  is  however  not  unpleasant,  although  neither  exactly 
pleasant.  The  strength  of  this  odor  increases  for  a  considerable 
time  and  then  it  gradually  diminishes,  yet  lasting  for  many  years. 
My  specimens  collected  upwards  of  twenty  years  ago  still  retain  it 
slightly.  If  ever  so  carefully  kept  in  a  perfectly  dry  state  and  ex. 
eluded  from  moisture  variations  in  the  atmosphere,  this  fern  will 
become  discolored  in  often  less  than  a  month  after  first  being  dried, 
getting  soon  quite  brown.  At  this  time  it  begins  to  stain  the  paper. 
The  stain  like  the  frond  brown  is  undoubtedly  of  an  oily  nature,  and 
soon  will  penetrate  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper,  leaving  on  both  sides  of 
