A very variable species, which also inhabits the extreme south of the American continent, as well as other and warmer parts of the globe. Presl, retaining the name of H. semibivalve, arranges this in his section " Cycloglossum" removing it from that of "Euhymenophyllum," in which the II. asplenioides, fumarioides and nitens, Br., are placed; but in the structure of the involucre and receptacle I have been unable to detect even a specific difference between those species and the H. rarum or semibivalve. The H. fumarioides, on the authority of Drege's specimens, which are so named and agree in the main with Bory's description, has been included in the " Species Tilicum " under H. rarum, of which plant I have examined numerous and very varying Cape forms from Messrs. Harvey, Forbes, Mund and Capt. Carmichael, and have also gathered it upon Table Mountain. In both Tasmanian and New Zealand specimens I have seen the receptacle to be either included or exserted, and in one from the former country the form of the indusia varies from being short, almost wholly sunk in the frond, much broader than long, with scarcely prominent lips, to an elliptical ovate form, with the lips protruded and nearly twice the length of the sunk portion. The H. asplenioides and abruptum are both very nearly allied to H. rarum, the latter especially ; the former has a much stouter caudex and stipes.
2. ASPEDIUM, Sic.
1. Aspidium (Polystichum) renustum, Honibr. et Jacq.; frondibus elongatis lineari-oblongis acuminatis bipinnatis, pinnis linearibus acurriinatis, pirmulis breviter petiolatis oblique ovatis acutis basi superne productis grosse crenato-dentatis coriaceis concavis glaberrimis venosis, segrnentis inferioribus obtusis superioribus acutis acurninatisve, radii stipiteque superne villoso-hirtis, subtus paleis majuseulis dense vestitis. A. venustum, Hombr. et Jacq. in Toy. an Pole Sud, Bot. Monocot. Cryptog. t. 5. sine descript. A. Waikarense, Colenso, MSS. in Herb. Hook.
Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; very abundant from the level of the sea to an altitude of 1200-1400 feet.
Filiv, in sylvis maritimis caulescens. Caudex 2-4 pedalis, erectus, stipitibus frondiuni vetustorum fibrisque nigrofuscis ubique vestitus, ped. diametr. et infra, versus apicem frondibus undique patentibus coronatus. Frondes 3-5 pedales, exemplaribus sylvicolis horizontaliter patentes, alpicolis suberectae, i— |- ped. latas, lineari-oblongae, gradatim acuminata? ; pinnis plurimis, 4-6 unciahbus, j unc. latis, linearibus, acmninatis, coriaceis, glaberrimis, pinnatis, pinnis ultimis in caudam profunde et argute serratam confluentibus, pirmulis distantibus v. subimbricatis, divaricatis, breviter sed manifeste petiolatis, infimis supra rachin plus minusve productis, omnibus oblique ovatis, acutis, convexis, rigide coriaceis, grosse crenato-serratis, basi cuneata superne oblique producta, margine inferiore costs parallelo, segmento infimo majore, obtuso, intermediis obtusis acutisve, supremo acuto, pungente, rarissime omnibus obtusis acutisve, superne lineis depressis notatis, venis furcatis pluriesve divisis, subtus prominentibus, glaberrimis, rarius exemplaribus valde coriaceis evanidis. Sori parvi v. minimi, plermnque 4-7 quavis pinnula, costse propius quam margini ; receptaculum elevatum ; indusimn minimum, stipitatiun, peltatim affixum, orbicidare. Costa rachisque rigidse, valida?, superne tomento molli rufo subvillosa;, subtus hie illic tubercidatse, hirtse, squamis paleisque undique et tota obsitae ; palea plurimae, majusculae, seariosse, subsquarrosae, cm-vatse, ovato-oblongae, in acumen elongatum attenuatae, rufo-brunnese, nitidaj, margine pallide fulvo.
The above description has been drawn up after the examination of many states of a plant, which will very likely give as much trouble to a botanist in the antipodes as the states of its representatives, A. aculeatum and angular e, have caused to those of Europe. It was first discovered by Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander in New Zealand, to small specimens gathered by whom the MS. name oiAsp. coriaeeum, /3. is attached in the Banksian Herbarium. I consider myself fortunate in having met with it in Lord Auckland's group, where it varies considerably, inhabiting various situations from the level of the sea to an altitude of 1200 to 1400 feet ; in the former locality appearing as a most elegant subarborescent species, for the stipites do really become consolidated into a ligneous caudex, and in the
