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Volume 71, 1942
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Notes on Colenso's Species.

In earlier numbers of the Trans. N.Z. Inst., Rev. W. Colenso has described the following species of Schistochila:

S. compacta (Col.) Trans., 1883, Vol. xvi, p. 349
S. laetevirens (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 238
S. nitida (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 238
S. macroamphigastria (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 238
S. heterocolpos (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 239
S. trichotoma (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 240
S. chlorophylla (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 240
S. bicolor (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 240
S. pallescens (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 241
S. marginata (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 241
S. albistipula (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 242
S. simplex (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 242
S. ramulosa (Col.) 1885, Vol. xviii, p. 243
S. ciliistipula (Col.) 1886, Vol. xix, p. 284
S. laciniosa (Col.) 1886, Vol. xix, p. 284
S. truncatula (Col.) 1887, Vol. xx, p. 247
S. flavo-virens (Col.) 1887, Vol. xx, p. 248
S. squarrosa (Col.) 1887, Vol. xx, p. 248
S. plumulosa (Col.) 1887, Vol. xx, p. 249
S. homophylla (Col.) 1887, Vol. xx, p. 250
S. guttata (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 53
S. longiciliata (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 54
S. longiseta (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 54
S. heterodonta (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 55
S. stenocarpa (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 55
S. mitteniana (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 56
S. moniliformis (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 56
S. epiphyta (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 57
S. winklemannii (Col.) 1888, Vol. xxi, p. 57
S. clandestina (Col.) 1889, Vol. xxii, p. 454

Of these I have seen the following: S. nitida, S. laetevirens, S. simplex, S. guttata, S. longiseta, S. pallescens, S. marginata.

These descriptions in the Transactions make interesting reading. Minor differences seemed very important to Colenso, and indeed they might well be, but at the same time he could not appreciate the fundamental resemblances which band a group of plants together under one specific name. Moreover, he could not recognise his species a second time and thus establish them, for the majority of plants in the Colenso collection have no names at all.

Fortunately, Dr. Fr. Stephani overhauled Colenso's material at Kew and published his results in the Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. xxix, 1892. He allowed 5 of these species to stand, remarking

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Figs. 1–3—S. unguicularis; Mount Grey, Coll. H. M. Hodgson; Fig. 1, Leaf; Figs. 2–3, Stipules. Figs. 4–5—S. nitida, ex Herb. Col. = S. balfouriana; Fig. 4, Leaf; Fig. 5, Stipule. Figs. 6–7—S. repleta, ex Herb. Col.; Fig. 6, Leaf; Fig. 7, Stipule. Figs. 8–9—S. tuloides; Fig. S, Leaf; Nelson, Coll. Messrs. Simpson and Thomson; Fig. 9, Leaf; Waipoua Kauri Forest, Coll. V. W. Lindauer. Figs. 10–11—S. lehmanniana; Stewart Island, Coll. Mrs. J. D. Smith; Fig. 10, Leaf; Fig. 11, Stipule with Paraphyll. Fig. 12—S. lehmanniana var. compacta; Leaf and Stipule; Ulva, Stewart Island, ex Herb. T. Kirk. Figs. 13–14—S. splachnophylla; Tararua Mountains, Coll. V. D. Zotov; Fig. 13, Leaf; Fig. 14, Stipule. Figs. 15–16—S. conchophylla; Mount Stoke, Nelson, Coll. J. H. McMahon; Fig. 15, Leaf; Fig. 16, cells, ca. 200 X. Figs. 17–18—S. appendiculata; Kapiti Is., Coll. Students, per Mr. McKenzie; Fig. 17, Leaf. Fig. 18, Stipule.

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Fig. 19—S. pinnatifolia, Leaf, with drooping ventral lobe. a; L. Waikare-iti, Coll. E. A. Hodgson. Figs. 20–22—S. kirkiana; Arthurs Pass, Coll. P. Milligan; Fig. 20, Stem with Leaves and Stipule, ventral; Fig. 21, Leaf, dorsal; Fig. 22, Stipule. Figs. 23–24—S. kirkiana, aquatic form; Regina Valley, South Westland, Coll. B. Teague; Fig. 23, Leaf with drooping ventral lobe, b; Fig. 24, Stipule. Figs. 25–27—S. colensoana; between Taupo and Rangitaiki. Coll. K. W. Allison. Figs. 25–26, Leaves; Fig. 27, Stipule. Figs. 28–30—S. nobilis; Haast Pass, Coll. Miss Matthews; Fig. 28, Leaf; Fig. 29, Stipule; Fig. 30. Tuft of Paraphylls reduced to 2. Fig. 31—S. ciliata Leaf; Waikaremoana, Coll. E. A. Hodgson. Figs. 32–33—S. muricata; Tararua Mountains, Coll. V. D. Zotov; Fig. 32, Leaf; Fig. 33, Stipule.

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that they “appear valid.” These 5 were S. marginata, S. heterodonta, S. guttata, S. ramulosa and S. squarrosa. I have copies of his drawings of S. marginata, S. heterodonta, and S. ramulosa, in the Icones Hepaticarum, and without any doubt

  • S. marginata (Col.) is S. balfouriana (Tayl.)

  • S. heterodonta (Col.) is S. repleta (Tayl.)

  • S. ramulosa (Col.) is S. tuloides (Mitt.)

S. guttata (Col.) is also S. repleta (Tayl.), and from the description, S. squarrosa (Col.) must be S. nobilis (Hook.), as this plant is too outstanding for any minor variation to constitute a separate species.

It is extraordinary that Stephani should have overlooked these older established species, when he allowed Colenso's names to stand. Other species of Colenso's he reduced as follows:—

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S. laetevirens (Col.)
S. nitida (Col.)
S. truncatula (Col.)
S. trichotoma (Col.)
S. simplex (Col.) is S. marginata (Col.)
S. longiciliata (Col.)
S. ciliistipula (Col.)
S. epiphyta (Col.)
S. dichotoma (Col.) is S. squarrosa (Col.)
S. winklemanii (Col.) is S. appendiculata (Hook.)
S. moniliformis (Col.)
S. longiseta (Col.)
S. clandestina (Col.)
S. heterocolpos (Col.)
S. gregaria (Col.)
S. laciniosa (Col.) is S. heterodonta (Col.)
S. macroamphigastria (Col.)
S. flavo-virens (Col.)
S. pallescens (Col.)
S. plumulosa (Col.) is S. pinnatifolia (Hook.)
S. chlorophylla (Col.) is S. ciliata (Mitt.)

Of these, S. laetevirens and S. simplex are S. unguicularis. The fact that Stephani included them in the group which he reduced to S. marginata, i.e. balfouriana, suggests, as I mentioned before, that it might be feasible to consider these two plant groups as one.

It might be as well to mention that, with regard to S. marginata, Colenso must have had a mixture here, as the duplicate in the Napier collection is S. repleta, a different plant from Stephani's drawing in the Icones Hepaticarum.

It is evident from the above lists that the following plants were not seen by Stephani: S. compacta, S. bicolor, S. albistipula, S. homophylla, S. steno-carpa, S. mitteniana. A study of the descriptions, combined with a working knowledge of the established species, leads one to the following conclusions:—

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  • S. compacta (Col.) seems to be S. colensoana Steph.

  • S. bicolor (Col.) seems to be S. repleta (Tayl.)

  • S. albistipula (Col.) seems to be S. repleta (Tayl.)

  • S. homophylla (Col.) seems to be S. tuloides (Mitt.)

  • S. mitteniana (Col.) seems to be S. balfouriana (Tayl.)

  • S. steno-carpa (Col.) seems to be S. repleta (Tayl.)

Of these, S. compacta is the most interesting. The description says: “Leaves semi-circular, broadly elliptic and sub-quadrate in outline, margin entire, decurrent, sometimes very sparingly toothed towards the base.” This could apply to the leaves of S. colensoana, and, if so, there would be another locality, viz., near Norsewood, for that rare plant.

In conclusion, I wish to thank the authorities of the Dominion and Hawke's Bay Museums for the loan of Colenso's collection, Dr. H. H. Allan and Mr. V. D. Zotov for the use of the collections in the Plant Research Herbarium, and the collectors who so kindly send me plants.

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