Flora of New Zealand Series

L. densum Labill. Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 2, 1806, 104, t. 251, f. 1 non Lam. Fl. fr. 1, 1778, 33.

Rhizome up to 3 m. long, branched. Aerial branches rigid, erect, much branched above, 3 dm.-1 m. long, sts lianoid and up to 3 m. long and scantily branched. Lvs of three forms, a branch us. bearing one form only: (a) erect, densely imbricate, appressed, 1-2.5 mm. long, shortly aristate (the commonest form); (b) squarrose, incurved at tips, 2-3 mm. long, long-aristate, less densely placed; (c) intermediate between (a) and (b). Strobili. solitary, terminal, ∞, erect, up to 3 cm. long. Sporophylls close-set, broad-ovate, acute, spreading when old, margins scarious, jagged.

DIST.: N. Common from near North Cape to lat. 38°. Also recorded from Marlborough (Buchanan) and Ch. (Dieffenbach). Norfolk Id., Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia.

Nessel (loc. cit. 346) from specimens collected by Leland, Chase and Tilden at Rotorua, 1909 (K, n. 127B), and Anderson, 1852 (Herb. Beukert), accepts L. cochinchinense Hert. for N.Z. The sp. was founded on specimens collected by P. S. Faber, 1884, in Cochinchina. The original plants are readily distinguished from L. deuterodensum by their small size, very slender branches, more open habit and the long peduncles to the strobili. Branches 6-9 cm. high, sparingly branched, very slender; lvs 2 mm. long. Strobili 1 cm. long on very slender stalks, 6-8 cm. long. Slender forms occur in N.Z., but their relation to L. cochinchinense needs further study.