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Excluded Species
Metzgeria Chilensis Steph.
M. Chilensis Steph. (1900, p. 285) is recorded by Stephani from New Zealand, leg. Colenso. This is a Chilian species, and as pointed out by Evans (1923, p. 295) the type specimen from Quiriquina Island, near Concepcion, 179 Dusen, is clearly monoicous, though Stephani gives it as dioicous, the♂ and ♀ branches being in close proximity on the same thallus. Otherwise the species is practically indistinguishable from M. decipiens. As we do not appear to have a monoicous species resembling M. decipiens, I think I am right in disclaiming M. Chilensis for New Zealand.
A specimen in Herbarium Lillie, dated 1913 and labelled Metzgeria Chilensis, is M. hamata.
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Metzgeria violacea (Ach.) Dumort.
After years of frustration and puzzlement I am now satisfied that M. violacea in the Acharium Herbarium at Lund, labelled as from Dusky Bay, New Zealand, collected by Sparrmann in the employ of the Forsters on Captain Cook's ship Resolution, was not collected in New Zealand at all. We do not have in New Zealand a blue Metzgeria with “pointed and highly modified gemmiparous branches”, and with the ventral nerve sheath consisting of only 2 rows of cells. Our only species which may turn blue or partially blue is M. disciformis Evans, which does not bear marginal gemmae. I have tried to show that in spite of occasional dorsal gemmae, this taxon is inseparable from M. furcata, a cosmopolitan and aggregate species. There is no record in any literature of a second finding of M. violacea in this country.
Metzgeria conjugata Lindb.
This is another monoicous species which Stephani cites as for New Zealand leg. Kirk. It has a 2 over 4 nerve-sheath structure as in M. furacta, but no ventral alar hairs. As fertile thalli are said to be usually present, it should be recognized, but as yet, no such specimen has been met with. There is no duplicate in Kirk's collection in the Botany Division (D.S.I.R.) Herbarium at Lincoln, though it is admitted that the Geneva specimen has not been seen.
A specimen in Petrie's collection labelled M. conjugata, presumably by Stephani, is M. hamata.