thick, trigories O. Perianth lateral, usually with three pairs of involucral leaves with stipules, increasing in size upwards; margins of upper leaves spinous-toothed, mouth of perianth lacerate, spinoustoothed.

Resembles Lophocolea muricata in being muricate, but the leaves of that species are bidentate with a sinus, whereas these have an apical spine. They are also less crowded and lie flatter than those of the Lophocolea. In fruiting specimens the lateral perianth will always serve to distinguish them.

In damp shade on ground and rotting logs, localities being: Whaeo Stream, Rotorua region, coll. K. W. Allison; Lake Waikare-iti, E. A. Hodgson; Mt. Hector, coll. V. D. Zotov; Otari Reserve, N. Kemble Welch; Wilton's Bush, R. Mason; Pelorus Bridge, Marlborough, G. O. K. Sainsbury; Westland, H. M. Hodgson; Stewart Island, coll. Mrs. J. D. Smith, also L. Cockayne; Chatham Islands, coll. — Cox (in Kirk's collection).

Also from Tasmania.

The type, collected by Menzies at Dusky Sound, was found amongst Plagiochila ramosissima and sent to the authors by Sir W, Hooker.

Chiloscyphus tridentatus Mitt.

C. tridentatus Mitt., Fl. Tas., II, p. 228, 1860; Handb. N.Z. Fl., II; 517, 1867; Rod. Tas. Bry., II, 55, 1916. C. Knightii St., Spec. Hep., vol. III, p. 235.

Plants small to medium, glaucous when fresh, pale when dry, in mats but not very dense. Stems creeping, simple or branched, 1–2 cm. long, rhizoids few. Leaves usually small, but vary according to the size of the plants, ca. 0 5–1 mm., oblong-ovate or ovate-quadrate, imbricate, sub-opposite, of firm texture, apex three-dentate, teeth short from a broad base, sometimes reduced to two or one, or even entire, sub-truncate or rounded. Stipules variable, 2–3 times the width of the stem, bifid, sinus obtuse to shallow, segments with a lateral tooth; connate with the leaves on one or both sides. Cells rounded and separate, apical ca. 20 μ, basal ca. 35 μ. The Handbook does not describe a perianth, neither have I seen any, but under C. knightii Stephani describes it as campanulate, very large for the size of the plant, mouth three-lobed, lobes deeply 4–6-fid, laciniae lanceolate entire.

In the Flora Novae Zelandiae, Mitten listed this plant as C. combinatus Nees, a Brazilian and Javan plant. But in the Flora Tasmaniae he says regarding this species, “The original specimens of C. combinatus, kindly lent by Nees von Esenbeck, are a rather larger species with soft and flaccid leaves, composed of more lax cells.” He therefore separated the southern plant calling it C. tridentatus, to which the Handbook also referred our New Zealand plants. Stephani does not allow C. tridentatus for New Zealand, but for Tasmania only, but the plant in Herb. Mitten, labelled C. tridentatus, is a New Zealand plant, coll. Colenso, No. 2163.

Though still maintaining our New Zealand plants to be C. combinatus Nees, Stephani describes it anew as C. knightii. His drawing of this “new species” is identical with Mitten's plant, and Dr. Th. Herzog agrees with us that the two are synonymous.

Stephani's Saccogyna trilobata possibly belongs here also.

Not common. I have it from “steep slope above Whaeo Stream, above Murupara, Rotorua region,” coll. K. W., Allison, Franklyn Mts., Lake Te Anau, coll. W. A. Thomson, and Otupae, Taihape, ca. 2000 ft., coll. E. A. Hodgson. Further Handbook localities are Bay of Islands, Cunningham; Cape Turnagain, Colenso; Wellington, Stephenson.

Chiloscyphus triacanthus (Tayl.) St.

Lophocolea triacantha Tayl., Lond. Journ. of Bot., p. 368, 1846; Raoul. Choix, pp. 8 and 36; G. L. et N., Syn. Hep., p. 698 (Supp.) Mitt. Fl. Nov. Zel., II, 138. 1855; Handb. N.Z. Fl., II, 509. 1867. Chiloscyphus triacanthus Steph. Spec. Hep., vol. III, p. 247. Chiloscyphus odoratus Mitt., Fl. Nov. Zel., II, 140, 1855; Handb. N.Z. Fl., II. 510. 1867; St. Spec. Hep., vol. III, p. 244.

Plants dioicous, pale, green to brown, in flattened clumps or sprawly patches, often draping a damp bank, variable in all respects. Stems of varying lengths, to 8 cm., according to the habit of the plant, branched. Leaves of different sizes, sub-alternate, rarely imbricate, more often contiguous, or even spaced, ovate-quadrate, apex three-cuspidate to three-dentate-spinose (but having also a bispinose form), the middle tooth or spine from a broad triangular base, dorsal margin decurrent, some leaves therefore with wider bases than others, shining. Stipules variable in size, in proportion to the leaves, taller than broad, with an arched insertion, divided, but not deeply, into 4–5 spinose segments, connate with the leaves, one side lower than the other. Cells irregular in size, 20–40 μ, rounded or hexagonal, trigones small. Perianth lateral, taller than broad, mouth somewhat lobed, lobes coarsely spinous-toothed. Invol. leaves, obovate-oblong, lateral margins entire, apices spinous-toothed. ♀ bracts toothed or spinous in conformity with the ordinary leaves, in 6–8 pairs, on pinnate spicate branches, showing on the ventral side of the stem.

Forma cavernicola Allison.

Plants very small, interwoven. Leaves spaced or alternate, 0.3–0.5 mm., including the long setaceous teeth. Stipules 2–4-fid. Cells 40–50 μ, largest on the smallest leaves. Still smaller and more slender stems have distant bifid leaves.

A type duplicate of this remarkable form is in the Plant Research Bureau Herb., No. 24628; from shady cavern at base of waterfall, near Atiamuri, coll. K. W. Allison, 18/5/33. Another gathering with some of the leaves a little nearer in size to the normal form, is from shady mouth of a large “pot-hole,” Kaingaroa Plains, Rotorua region, coll. K. W. Allison, 3/11/37.

Also in Kirk's collection, No. 6192, P. R. B. Her, from Water of Leith, Dunedin.

The fact that it rarely fruits, doubtless accounts for this plant being placed in Lophocolea by the earlier authors, though Mitten's C. odoratus, which is, the same species, is not, perianths being present. Fruiting plants collected by Mr. Allison between Ohakune and National Park, and near Atiamuri, leave no doubt as to the correct genus.

C. triacanthus is one of the most, if not the most, variable of all our species of Chiloscyphus. A plant from Arthur's Pass, coll. A. L.

Hodgson, has stipules with quite a deep basal part, while in another from near Atiamuri, coll. K. W. Allison, the spinous segments of the stipules are two-pronged. Still another specimen from Whakapapa Gorge, coll. L. B. Moore, det. K. W. Allison, has the apical teeth so small in some cases as to be almost obsolete, also quite a number of bidentate leaves.

Surprising as it may seem, I am convinced that Mitten's C. odoratus, Fl. Nov. Zel. II, is a two-spined form of this species. The piece from Mitten's Herbarium, collected at Bligh Sound by Dr. Lyall, is the same as a plentiful gathering from near Greymouth, coll. M. Berry, of a plant which has two-spined leaves, with an occasional three-spined one. This plant, in its turn, is similar to an elongated form from Akatarawa Saddle, coll. V. D. Zotov, No. 9209, P. R. B. Herb., which has an approximately equal number of both two and three-spined leaves, and which is C. triacanthus without a doubt, Mr Allison referring it here, independently of myself. It is therefore a connecting link between normally three-spined leaves of C. triacanthus, and Mitten's C. odoratus. Hence my reduction of C. odoratus to this species.

Stephani's Lophocolea tenax, Species Hepaticarum vol. VI, p. 296, appears to be this two-spined form also.

A common plant in shaded places near water. Draping the side of a gorge, it may cover a large area. Plants in compact mats usually have much shorter apical teeth.

Chiloscyphus fissistipus (Tayl.) G. L. et N.

Jungermannia fissistipa Tayl. in Lond. Journ. of Bot., 384, 1844; Fl. Ant., 137, 1847; Chiloscyphus fissistipus G. L. et N., Syn. Hep., p. 175; Mitt., Handb. N.Z. Fl., II, 515, 1867; Fl. Tas., 1860; St., Spec. Hep., vol. III, p. 246; Rod., Tas. Bry., II, 53, 1916.

Plants in dense depressed mats, dark green or glistening golden brown when dry, dioicous. Stems 2–3 cm., procumbent, flexuous. branched, sometimes considerably. Leaves ca. 1.3 mm., ovate-doliform (i.e. barrel-shaped), imbricate, opposite, dorsal bases connate, ventral margin entire, or with one or two teeth, much arched, dorsal sloping or slightly arched, entire, apex 3–4 dentate, or spinose-dentate, or irregular. Stipules contiguous or slightly imbricate, large, reniform, cut into simple or compound segments, armed with many long, curved or spinous teeth, the median ones often the longest, shortly connate with the leaves. Cells hexagonal, ca. 30 μ. Perianths lateral, almost sessile, showing on the ventral side of the plant, broadly campanulate with a wide laciniate mouth. Invol. leaves, bi- or tri-fid, dentate laciniate. Short spicate androecia plentiful on ♂ stems, with 5–7 pairs of bracts on each little spike. Intercalary androecia also present, sometimes on the same- stem.

This is a variable species, the plants differing mainly in the armature of the apex, and to a lesser extent of the ventral margin. The three or four apical teeth may be spinous, or short with the number reduced to two, or even one at times, or an occasional leaf may even be obtuse as in C. supinus, but there will always be some leaves on the stem with three or four teeth, and these, in conjunction with the characteristically arched ventral margin, enable it to be recognised. In C. triacanthus the leaves are only sub-opposite, and the