Art. LXXXI.—Description of a New Species of Pilularia.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 9, 1876, Page 547

Art. LXXXI.—Description of a New Species of Pilularia. By T. Kirk, F.L.S. [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 24th February, 1877.] Pilularia novæ zealandiæ, n. s. Root-stock creeping. Leaves solitary, 1–2 inches long, erect, setaceous. Sporocarpium globose, 2-valved, 2-celled; carpopodium ¼ inch long, erect; raphe elongated; micro-sporangia numerous, pyriform, each containing 20–30 microspores; macro-sporangia 20–25, ovoid; macrospores globose, or globose-ovoid, regular, not constricted. Hab.: South Island: Lake Lyndon and Lake Pearson, Canterbury. Alt., 2,800 feet. J. D. Enys and T. Kirk. In general appearance our plant resembles P. globulifera, L., differing externally in the 2-valved sporocarp, the longer carpopodium, and essentially in the non-constricted macrospores. It appears to be closely allied to P. novæ hollandiœ, A. Br., from which it differs in the 2-valved sporocarp, erect carpopodium, and lesser number of macrospores. A species of Pilularia was detected at Whangape Lake, Waikato, by Professor Hutton and myself, in 1869, but the specimens were too imperfect to admit of identification. Description of plate xxix. 1. Pilularia novæ zealandiœ, natural size. 2. Dehiscing sporocarp. 3. Micro-sporangia. 4. Microspores. 5. Group of Micro-sporangia attached to a fragment of the placenta. 6. Macrospore surrounded by a mucilaginous coat. 7. Macrospore. All magnified.