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Volume 73, 1943-44
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Excluded Species.

Chiloscyphus aculeatus Mitt., of the Flora Novae Zealandiae and the Handbook, is a small variable plant with dorsal and ventral spines, and with leaves smooth or papillose. A fruiting specimen from Paparoa Range, Westland, coll. R. Helms, In Kirk's collection, No. 6195 P. R. B. Herb., clearly shows it to be a Lophocolea. It runs into small forms of Lophocolea leucophylla Tal., to which species Stephani reduced it, and I would not say that he was altogether wrong.

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Stephani's Chiloscyphus hispidus, a sterile plant collected by Meiklejohn, and described in Species Hepaticarum, vol. VI, p. 308, appears to be Lophocolea leucophylla.

Lophocolea biciliata (Tayl.) Mitt., was published in the London Journal of Botany, 1845, as Jungermannia (Chiloscyphus) biciliata, and as Chiloscyphus biciliatus in the Synopsis Hepaticarum. In the Flora Novae Zealandiae Mitten removed it to Lophocolea with the following comment: “This species was described as a Chiloscyphus, but may rather be considered as a Lophocolea from its habit, its tendency to form involucral leaves, and an increase in the size of the stipules towards the apex, observed on one of the stems.” On the other hand, the comment in the Handbook, probably Hooker's, is, “Specimens imperfect and affinity doubtful.” The true position of this plant cannot be positively determined till fruiting plants have been found, but for my part I am inclined to think it is a Chiloscyphus, as I have two gatherings, one from Bay of Many Coves, Marlborough, coll. H. M. Hodgson, and one from Tangimoana Bush, near Wairoa, in which male stems have the spicate androecia, so common to many of our Chiloscyphus, and which I at any rate have not seen so far in any species of Lophocolea. The piece of Mitten's plant labelled L. biciliata, is actually C. allodontus. L. biciliata has a characteristic glossy appearance, not unlike that of C. lyallii.

There is still another plant which for long has been in our Herbaria sub nomine Chiloscyphus. One gathering is from Tableland Track, Mt. Arthur, Nelson, coll. G. O. K. Sainsbury, February, 1930, and the other, fruiting, is from Wairaumoana, Waikaremoana, coll. Mrs. G. O. K. Sainsbury, Mar. 1930. Concerning this plant Mr Allison writes: “This I make out to be a Lophocolea. The perianth form (not angled), is that of Chiloscyphus, though not unknown in Lophocolea, but the terminal position is lophpcoloid. Generally the perianths have innovations, and in at least two cases that I have examined, these spring from the perianth (inner) side of the involucral stipule. Now in Chiloscyphus, the perianth is borne on a “proper” branch, bearing one to three pairs of leaves and stipules, so that if the perianth appeared as terminal in a Chiloscyphus, the continuation of the stem (which would then appear as an innovation) would spring from somewhere below the perianth, but certainly not from the inside of the involucral stipule. As well, the continuation of the stem would proceed from the front or somewhat to the side of the perianth, not from the back of it.”

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The plant in question is small, with flat, more or less oblong leaves, horizontally set, from two-dentate to ¼-1/3 bifid (sometimes with a smaller third tooth), with an acute sinus. It has a spotted shiny appearance, due to the large cells. The stipules are small, deeply bifid, with segments diverging. The perianths are, to all outward appearances, lateral. Whatever may be its position as regards genus, it certainly appears to be a new species.