1861 - Jones, S. Handbook to the Ferns of New Zealand - CHAPTER IV. Of Species, p 16-32

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CHAPTER IV.

OF SPECIES.

Having fixed on the first or generic name of a fern chiefly by means of peculiarities in its fructification and venation, we next have to decide on its second or specific name; and for this purpose we must observe many other characteristics such as the shape, size, and texture of the frond, its manner of growth, whether tufted, erect, creeping, or pendulous; the shape of the rhizome, and the presence or absence of scales, hairs, and tubercles. We have endeavoured in the following descriptions to avoid confusing the enquirer by any unnecessary prolixity, and, without pretending to any complete description, to point out in each case some one peculiarity by which the fern may be distinguished from others in the same genus. The habitats are those given by Dr. Hooker or known to more recent collectors; when the name of a district is mentioned a wide range must be allowed.

GEN. I. --GLEICHENIA. --S EUGLEICHENIA.

1. G. semi-vestita. Fronds 1 1/2 to 3 feet high; stipes tall, smooth, cylindrical, often shining below, woolly or chaffy above. Pinna shining above, often covered with a light bloom beneath; branches spreading, forked, and pinnate; rachis often chaffy in the young state, smooth in the old.

Var. B. hecistophylla. The lobes of the pinnae concave instead of flat. Northern Island; abundant in open fern-land.

2. G. dicarpa. Smaller and more slender than the former; the lobes are closed over the capsules like boxes with transverse slits. Foveaux Straits. Lake Taupo.

Var. B. alpina, Stunted and very woolly.

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S 2, MERTENSIA.

3. G. Cunninghamii. Stipes very stout, about a foot long, grooved down one side, smooth or sometimes covered with large, pale, deciduous scales in which case they are also found on the rachis; branches stout, sometimes in several tiers, curving and branching repeatedly; segments thick in texture, with smooth edges generally quite flat, sometimes a little turned back, with a light bloom on their under surface; capsules generally exposed. Manukau heads. Drury. In thick forests as far South as Queen Charlotte's Sound.

4. G. flabellata. A larger plant than G. Cunninghamii from which it may be distinguished by its pinnae being broader in proportion to their length, green on both sides and the quite smooth stipes and rachis. Keri Keri River.

GEN. II. --CYATHEA.

1. C. medullaris. A noble tree-fern; trunk 12-14 feet high, rough with the black bases of former fronds; fronds very numerous, thick in texture, deep green above, paler beneath; stipes and rachis covered with little scattered tubercles; sori numerous and, when perfectly ripe, almost covering the under surface of the frond. Common.

2. C. dealbata. A tall and graceful tree-fern, easily recognized by the milk-white under-surface of the fronds. Common.

3. C. Cunninghamii. Fronds pale green, membranous, pinnae broad from the length of the pinnules, the lobes of which are toothed; rachis rough with raised points as in C. medullaris. It will be observed that the fronds differ from the latter in texture and in the more deeply cut lobes of the pinnules, and from C. Smithii in form and also in the rough surface of the rachis. Mountains of East Coast and interior.

4. C. Smithii. A beautiful tree-fern discovered by Mr. Colenso; fronds very delicate and beautiful; pinnae long and narrow; main rachis pale and quite smooth. Mountains of East Coast and Interior. Taranaki. Wellington.

GEN. III. --ALSOPHILA.

1. A. Colensoi. A very beautiful, delicate-fronded tree-fern never attaining a height of more than four or five feet, indeed the trunk is often altogether wanting. The young fronds are thickly clothed

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with long, weak, rusty-brown, hairs, mixed with scales; besides which the surface of the frond is covered with a reddish brown down; the scales and hair are deciduous. This fern will be easily recognised as it is the only member of the genus found in New Zealand; it is very rare in the Northern Island having hitherto only been found on the Ruahine ranges, but it is abundant at the south of the Middle Island.

GEN. IV. --DICKSONIA.

1. D. squarrosa. A very handsome and abundant tree-fern; trunk 10-15 feet high, rough with the black bases of fronds; young stipes clothed with soft, pale brown, wool; old stipes, rachis, and midribs of the pinna, rough with little tubercles. This fern may be easily distinguished from the other species of Dicksonia by its stiff texture and dark-coloured rachis.

2. D. antarctica. This tree-fern may be known by its trunk which is covered with matted rootlets; stipes smooth and pale; rachis and mid-ribs clothed, more or less, with soft, deciduous hairs and a yellowish brown down; fronds not so stiff as those of D. squarrosa. Wellington. Turanga.

3. D. lanata. Trunk generally absent, but sometimes found to the height of 4 feet; stipes clothed at the base with long, soft, silky hairs; upper part of stipes and main rachis quite smooth and light in colour, but the upper rachis of the pinnae and pinnules is covered with very short hairs or down; when in seed the whole under-surface of the frond is covered with sori, the two-valved, box-like, involucra of which are very conspicuous. Bay of Islands. Wangarei. East Coast, and interior of Northern Island.

GEN. V. --HYMENOPHYLLUM.

S A.

1. II. Tunbridgense. A small fern, found throughout the islands, on rocks, and roots of trees; frond pinnate below; pinnate or pinnatifid above; quite smooth; pinnae pinnatifid, sharply toothed; involucre orbicular, compressed, projecting beyond the frond, and having its lips toothed.

Var B. cupressiforme. A taller plant sometimes 3 1/4 inches in height with very narrow pinna, far apart from each other, and often bending downwards, rendering the involucra very conspicuous.

2. H. unilaterale. Hitherto only found on the Ruahine range; differing from var B of H. Tunbridgense only in having involucra, with smooth uncut edges.

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3. H. minimum. A very small plant, closely allied to the foregoing, but smaller, and having little spines on the back of its involucre, as well as round its margin. Growing on roots of trees, &c. Scarce.

4. H. multifidum. Fronds 2-8 inches long, bi-tri-pinnatifid, the rachis having a margin of the texture of the frond; pinnules narrow, long, deeply-toothed; involucra at the base of the pinnae and pinnules; conspicuous, being frequently stalked, and very obviously two-lipped. Abundant throughout the islands.

5. H. bivalve. Closely resembling H. multifidum, but to be distinguished by its involucra; which grow at the top instead of the base, of the pinna, and are partly sunk in the frond. Scarce.

S B. * a.

6. H. rarum. A beautiful, little, bright-green fern, 1-8 inches long; found clothing the stems of tree-ferns, and to be readily distinguished by its hair-like stipes, very transparent fronds, and broad short involucra, terminating the pinnules. Common, in forests on the stems of tree-ferns.

7. H. pulcherrimum. An extremely handsome fern, 13-18 inches high, attaining its greatest length when pendulous from trees; conspicuous for its stout rachis and stipes, the latter with a fine margin to the base; short rhizome, clothed with dark brown bristles and woolly root fibres. Frond bi-tri-pinnatifid; involucra small for the size of the plant. Ranges of Mount Egmont. Mountains of the East Coast. Comparatively abundant in the Middle Island.

8. H. dilatatum. A very beautiful fern of a remarkably brilliant green; it may be distinguished from the last by its long, quite smooth, rhizome; less winged stipes; broader segments, and larger involucra; 6-18 inches high. Abundant in damp forests.

9. H. crispatum. May be known by the crisped, or frilly margin to the stipes and rachis; the segments also more or less partaking of this characteristic; fronds 2-8 inches high, bright green; rhizome smooth, creeping. Bay of Islands. East Coast. Near the coal mines, Drury.

10. H. polyanthos. Var B sanguinolentum. Fronds quite smooth, 2-8 inches high, of a reddish-brown colour, bi-tri-pinnatifid; stipes only winged at the top; involucra generally numerous. The whole plant has a peculiar odour, especially when dry. Abundant.

S B. * b.

11. H. demissum. A very pretty, abundant fern; frond 4-9 inches high, pinnate below, pinnatifid above; pinnae bi-tri-

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pinnatifid; stipes quite smooth, stiff. The pinnate frond distinguishes it from H. polyanthos, and the smooth stipes, from H. scabrum.

12. H. scabrum. Fronds darker coloured; often hanging from trees, and attaining a great length; always to be recognized by the scattered, stiff, deciduous, reddish-brown, hairs, on the stipes and rachis. Bay of Islands. East Coast. Dense forests near Wellington.

13. H. flabellatum. A very bright green species, generally found on the trunks of tree-ferns; 2-8 inches long; somewhat resembling H. demissum, but distinguished from it by having broad, fan-shaped, lower pinna; and light, soft, woolly, hairs at the base of the stipes, and on the rhizome.

S C.

14. H. aeruginosum. Fronds pendulous, 3-10 inches long; the little, branched, reddish, hairs, all over its surface, render this fern unmistakeable. Waikare Lake. Dusky Bay. Wellington.

15. H. Lyallii, A very distinct little species; stipes hairlike; frond inches long, fan-shaped; involucra sunk in the apex of the segments; branching hairs round the margins. Thomson's Sound. Middle Island. Huia, Manukau Heads.

GEN. VI. --TRICHOMANES.

1. T. reniforme. The simple, bright green, kidney-shaped fronds, with their fringe of fructification, render this species quite easily recognised. Common, but peculiar to New Zealand.

2. T. humile. Frond variable in shape, delicate in texture; 1-4 inches long, bi-pinnatifid; involucra sunk in short segments; receptacle generally very long and hair-like. On trunks of trees, &c. It grows in a small cave at the Three Kings.

3. T. venosum. Pinnate and brighter in colour, otherwise somewhat resembling T. humile; pinnae pinnate or pinnatifid, often of very irregular length. On wet rocks, trunks of tree-ferns, &c.

4. T. Colensoi. Hitherto only found in the dense forests near Waikare Lake. It appears to differ from the two last species in its distant, shortly stalked, pinna; and its involucre, which is stalked, instead of being sunk in a segment.

5. T. striatum. Fronds densely tufted; stipes and rachis thick and rigid; frond pinnate; pinnae very finely cut into numerous, very narrow, segments; involucra stalked. This fern is very rare: it has been found in thick forests near the East Coast, also at Dusky Bay, Massacre Bay, and Hokianga.

6. T. elongatum A lurid-green, rigid, tufted species; 4-9 inches high; pinnae over-lapping each other, pinnate, with toothed

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segments; involucra very numerous, cylindrical, with short lips; receptacle long, rigid, protruded on the under-side of the frond; frond frequently covered with moss. Abundant; on the ground, in deep shade.

GEN. VII. --LOXSOMA.

1. L. Cunninghamii. Stipes erect, smooth, polished; frond broadly triangular, 1-2 feet high, thick in texture, tri-pinnate, generally with a whitish under-surface. Scarce. Keri Keri River. Wangarei.

GEN. VIII. --ADIANTUM.

1. A. hispidulum May be known by its rough stipes and rachis, and stiff frond; 6-12 inches high and often dividing at once into two branches, whence the pinnae spring and spread out like a fan; pinnules stalked, as are those of all the members of this genus; olive-green, often reddish when young; sori numerous on the upper margin of each pinnule, which are close together, often overlapping one another; Northern Island, Bay of Islands to Cook's Straits.

2. A. affine. Stipes and rachis slender, glossy, smooth, and black; frond limp, sparingly branched, sometimes simply pinnate; pinna, dark green, membranous, with a few scattered hairs on their surface; hairs also on the surface of the involucra, to be seen by the aid of a lens. This fern, which is seldom more than 8 inches high, is found in damp, shady, places.

3. A. AEthiopicum. A very beautiful species, of a bright, pale green, colour; tri-quadri-pinnate, 6-18 inches high; stipes long, slender, glossy, brown, as are the rachis and threadlike stalks of the pinnules; sori few; involucra large, and pale in colour. Open fern land, and under scrub.

4. A. formosum. A rare fern, found on the banks of the Manganaitaka River; at Kaipara; and at Wangarei. Frond 2-4 feet high, much branched; rachis and stipes thick; pinnae small and numerous; rachis smooth and shining below, covered with short stiff hairs above; stipes very black, shining, rough.

5. A. Cunninghamii. Fronds 6-18 inches high, sparingly branched, bi-pinnate, perfectly smooth; rachis and stipes rather stout, black, smooth, and shining; the under-surface of the pinnules is generally of a paler colour than the upper. Common in the Northern Island.

6. A. fulvum. Somewhat resembling the last-named but having very short, close, reddish, hairs on the upper surface, both of the main rachis, and of the pinna; pinnules of the same colour on both sides. From the Bay of Islands to Banks' Peninsula.

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GEN. IX. --HYPOLEPIS.

1. H. tenuifolia. A tall, handsome, spreading, fern, 2-5 feet high; frond sometimes 2 feet broad, tri-quadri-pinnate; first branches spreading; secondary, and tertiary, oblong and narrow; pinnules, without stalks, pinnatifid; sori generally two or three on each side of the lobes; rachis yellow-brown, hairy; stipes stout, often sticky, hairy, and rough. Common.

2. H. Millefolium. Fronds a span to a foot high, tri-pinnate; pinnules deeply, finely cut; stipes, rachis, and costa, all pale, covered with weak scattered hairs. Shady places near the top of the Ruahine range. Lake Rotoiti, Nelson. Otago.

3. H. distans. A very distinct species. Fronds bi-pinnate rigid, wiry; the slender pinnae in pairs, at some distance from each other, bright green but turning brown when dry; pinnules stalked, lobed; stipes red-brown and, as is the rachis, rough with minute prickles. Rhizome creeping, hairy. Hokianga. Hutt Valley. Manukau Heads, &c.

GEN. X. --CHEILANTHES.

1. C. tenuifolia. The only New Zealand species, is starved and dry-looking, generally found growing on rocks, or in very dry places. Fronds 3 inches to a foot long, tri-pinnate; stipes stout, brown, channelled, with a few scattered hairs at the base, otherwise quite smooth; pinnae yellow-green, tending upwards, small, scattered; pinnules often a mass of fructification.

GEN. XI. --PELLAEA.

1. P. falcata. Fronds erect, tufted, 1-3 feet high, narrow, simply pinnate; pinnae oblong, pointed, rarely having one or two lobes; sori forming a broad band round the pinna; rachis stout, shaggy with scales and hairs.

2. P. rotundifolia. Very variable in size and often scarcely to be distinguished from P. falcata, from which it only differs, in the narrower frond, and broader, more rounded pinna; the band of fructification is also not so continuous. Common as far south as Banks' Peninsula.

GEN. XII. --PTERIS. S EUPTERIS.

1. P. aquilina, var: esculenta. The common fern of the country, generally covering open, uncultivated, land.

2. P. tremula. Frond from 1-5 feet high, generally membranous, light green, tri--pinnate and fading quickly when gathered;

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always perfectly smooth, rachis and stipes polished; pinnules long and narrow, joined by a broad base to the pinnae; sori continuous round their edges. Sometimes quadri-pinnate, darker in colour, and thick in texture. Abundant throughout the Northern Island.

3. P. scaberula. A very pretty and distinct species; frond a span to 2 feet high, stiff, tri-pinnate; stipes and rachis stout, and covered with small reddish hairs; pinnules thick in texture, small, bright green; sori forming a yellow margin to their under-surface. Abundant as far south as Akaroa.

S LITOBROCHIA.

4. P. (Litobrochia) incisa. Fronds smooth, 2-4 feet high, bi-tri-pinnate, paler beneath than above; pinnules oblong, uncut, joined by a broad base to the pinna. Immature fronds fade quickly, and dry a blackish green, but when mature and soriferous are firm and rigid. Throughout the Islands, not uncommon on the margins of woods.

5. P. (Litobrochia) macilenta. Frond 1-5 feet high, bright green, bi-quadri-pinnate; the upper pinnules are joined by a broad base to the rachis, the lower ones are stalked, scattered, and deeply cut, green on both sides; stipes pale, shining, smooth, or with a few scattered hairs. Throughout the Northern Island in dark groves. At the North Head, Auckland.

6. P. (Litobrochia) comans. A very handsome fern, large, rather dark green, bi-tri-pinnate; pinnae and pinnules broad, close together; tips of the latter, notched. Bay of Islands. Great Barrier. Manukau Harbour.

Although these three ferns are very different in appearance, it is difficult, without the use of technical language, to describe the distinction between them. Perhaps the light undersurface of the first; the scattered, leaf-like, pinnules of the second; and the larger, deeper green, and close pinnae, of the third; will suffice to distinguish them until all three have been compared, when there can be no difficulty in giving each its right name.

GEN. XIII. --LOMARIA.

S A.

1. L. procera. The most common and abundant of this genus, chiefly found in woods and marshes. Fronds a span to 4 feet high, broad; stipes generally scaly at the base, rachis generally smooth; pinnae of barren fronds long and narrow; fertile pinnae sometimes occupying one side of the sterile frond, more often on a separate frond.

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Var. A. Base of the sterile pinnae cut sharply off or almost wedge-shaped.

Var. B. Base of the sterile pinnae having heart-shaped lobes overlapping the rachis.

Var. C. Sterile pinnae narrowed at the base.

Var. D. minor. Sterile pinnae very thick in texture, with saw-like edges and scattered, dark, scales on the stipes, rachis, and costa.

2. A. fluviatilis. Fronds 8-18 inches high, tufted, very narrow; rachis and stipes, clothed more or less, with spreading scales, which are also often seen on the costa of the numerous, rounded, sterile pinna. Mountainous parts of the Northern Island. Middle and Southern Islands.

3. L. filiformis. Creeping up trees often to a great height; barren fronds of two shapes, the lower ones small with rounded pinnae; upper ones G inches to 2 feet long, pinnae rather long with pointed tips, and saw-like edges; fertile fronds shorter than barren ones, with long, thread-like, pinnae. Abundant as far South as Banks' Peninsula.

S B.

4. L. elongata. A handsome fern found on the Rimu Tuka; Mount Egmont; and abundant towards the south of the Middle Island. Fronds 1-3 feet high, broad, deep green, shining: segments long, tending upwards, narrowing to a point, lower part of each segment, running down along the stem to the commencement of the next one; pinnae of fertile fronds, long, narrow, running into very narrow, pointed, tips; stipes dark, shining, brown, as is also the undersurface of the rachis and costa.

5. L. discolor. Generally to be distinguished by the reddish colour of the under surface of the frond; fronds 1-3 feet long; narrowing at each end; tufted on the top of a short, woody, erect, caudex, or trunk; pinnae very numerous, close, at right angles to the rachis; stipes short, scaly at base; pinnae of fertile frond often with leafy bases. Abundant.

G. L. lanceolate,. Fronds 2 inches to 2 feet high; in shape rather like the preceding, but generally much smaller; it may further be distinguished by its fronds being green on both sides, less stiff, and by having the pinnae of the fertile fronds generally tending upwards. Common.

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7. L. pumila. Much resembling the preceding but smaller; pinnae not so numerous, or close together; rather shorter and broader, with more saw-like edges. Common.

8. L. Alpina. Very narrow fronds 2-18 inches high; it has a creeping rhizome; stipes long and bare; those of the fertile fronds, nearly twice the length of the others. Mountainous parts of Northern and throughout Middle and Southern Islands.

9. L. Germainii. Small and with the pinnae closely overlapping one another, otherwise much resembling L. Alpina. Lately discovered on the mountains between Nelson and the Wairau.

10. L. Banksii. To be distinguished by the fronds being pinnatifid nearly to the base; the fertile fronds much shorter than the barren; pinnae of barren fronds, short, rounded, thick in texture and with smooth edges. Bay of Islands. Manukau Harbour, Sugar Loaf Bocks, Taranaki. Middle and Southern Islands.

11. L. vulcanica. Frond 4-18 inches long; somewhat broad, running to a long tail at the tip, but not narrowing below; pinnae long, the lowest pair often bending downwards. Tarawera. Turanga. Happy Valley, Nelson. Mountain Ranges, Taranaki.

12. L. nigra. The whole plant of a blackish green colour; barren fronds 4-8 inches long, ending in a large, broad, lobe; fertile fronds with very narrow, hair-like pinnae, the terminal one much longer than the rest. Rare. East Coast and Interior, Mountains Ranges, Taranaki.

S C.

13. L. Fraseri. Only found in New Zealand, its bi-pinnatifid frond renders it unmistakeable; fronds generally tufted at the top of a short caudex; fertile fronds, when mature, of a rich yellow on their undersurface. Northern Island, in woods. Northern part of Middle Island.

SUB-TRIBE B.

GEN. XIV. --DAVALLIA.

1. D. Novae Zelandiae. Avery pretty fern, 1-2 feet high, tri-pinnate; stipes and rachis, both of the frond and pinnae, brown and polished; pinnules very finely cut; sori numerous. Bay of Islands. Wellington. Forest near Howick.

GEN. XV. --CYSTOPTERIS.

1. C. fragilis. Fronds delicate, bright green, tufted, 6-8 inches high, bi-pinnate; pinnules toothed; sori scattered; stipes and rachis light straw-coloured. Lately found south of Nelson.

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GEN. XVI. --LINDSEA.

1. L. linearis. Easily recognized, by its erect, narrow, simply pinnate, fronds; pinnae fan-shaped; often curling up when in seed; sori continuous along the tips of the pinna. Common on dry hills, and under Ti scrub.

2. L. trichomanoides. Fronds variable in size and appearance; sometimes erect, sometimes pendent, when they often attain the length of two feet; bi-tri-pinnate, bright green; sori terminating each pinnule; rachis and stipes brown, slender, stiff and polished. Common. Growing luxuriantly on the bank of the Huia, Manukau Heads.

Var. B. Lessoni. Smaller, not so bright in colour or so finely cut.

GEN. XVII. --ASPLENIUM.

S A.

1. A. flabellifolium. May be readily known by its long, narrow, prostrate, or pendulous, frond, with a thread-like continuation of the rachis often rooting again; pinnae fan-shaped, sori radiating from their base. Generally found amongst stones and rocks.

2. A. trichomanes. Lately found between Nelson and the Wairau. Frond 5-8 inches high, erect, narrow; stipes and rachis dark, purplish brown, shining; pinnae small, roundish, in pairs.

3. A. obtusatum. Frond 6-8 inches high, thick and leathery; pinnae few, stalked, with rounded tips, generally pale, light green; rachis and stipes of the colour of the frond; stipes stiff, compressed, clothed at the base with large, pale scales.

Var. B. obliquum. Pinnae larger, more numerous, darker green and pointed. Throughout the Islands.

4. A. lucidum. Fronds large, often two feet and more in length; pinnae numerous, shining, stalked, their tips pointed; sori numerous in long, parallel, oblique lines. This species is closely allied to the last, its larger size, less leathery texture, and shining surface, being its most obvious distinguishing marks. Abundant throughout the Island.

Var. B. Lyallii. Frond bi-pinnate, not so large or stiff rachis often very hairy. A very remarkable variety found at Otago and Nelson.

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5. A. polyodon. A very common and beautiful species. Frond 1-2 1/2 feet long; stipes and rachis brown, hairy; pinnae stalked, much and deeply toothed, and tapering to a fine point; sori numerous, diverging from the rachis in the direction of the veins.

B. Lower pinnae with deep lobes, lobes toothed. Port Nicholson.

S B.

6. A. bulbiferum. A very beautiful and common fern, easily recognized in its most highly developed form, by the germinating bulbs on its pinnules. Fronds bright green, not stiff, 1-3 feet long, bi-pinnate; rachis of the pinnaeoften winged; pinnules deeply cut. Its varieties are very difficult to define, perhaps the following are the most remarkable.

Var. A. Frond pinnate, pinnae pinnatifid, shining, lower pinnae gradually diminishing in size; no bulbs.

Var. B. laxum. Fronds generally pendulous, pinnules deeply divided into segments.

Var. C. tripinnatum. Frond erect, very finely and delicately cut.

7. A. Hookerianum. Frond tufted, 2-6 inches long, limp, pinnate or bi-pinnate; with small, scattered, branches; pinnules stalked, roundish, notched. Northern and Middle Islands, rather rare. Small bush on the Waimea, Nelson. Banks' Peninsula.

In his Flora Zelandia Dr. Hooker considers this fern a variety of A. adiantoides and gives another var. Colensoi, but Sir William J. Hooker unites this last with A. Richardi, and considers the former a distinct species.

8. A. Richardi. Very rare; fronds 4-6 inches high, rigid, dark green, tufted, bi-pinnate; pinnae stalked; pinnules generally without stalks, crowded, deeply pinnatifid, with oblong, blunt segments; terminal pinnules uniting into one with coarsely notched segments; veins forked, one to each segment, thickening at the end, terminating within the margin. "Southern Island. New River."

Var. B. Colensoi. Brighter green, not so stiff, pinnules more or less stalked more deeply and finely pinnatifid. Keri-Keri River. Tuki-Tuki River. Waikare Lake.

9. A. flaccidum. Very common and variable, generally pendulous from trees; fronds of a very thick texture and bright

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shining green, sori marginal. Dr. Hooker gives the following varieties which, he says, "are connected by innumerable intermediate ones; indeed the most opposite characters are sometimes presented by different parts of the same frond."

Var. A. Fronds pendulous, sparingly divided into distant, lobed, thongs.

Var. B. Fronds pendulous, pinnate; pinnae stalked, distant, very long.

Var. C. Fronds erect or pendulous; pinnae more numerous, curved like a scythe, long, narrow, stalked, deeply lobed.

Var. D. Fronds erect, bi-pinnate; pinnules close, shortly stalked, deeply lobed.

S ALLANTODIA.

10. A. (Allantodia.) 1 Australis. One of the most delicate and beautiful ferns in New Zealand; frond very membranous, quite smooth, 1-3 feet high, bi-pinnate; pinnules stalked, deeply pinnatifid; many, short, oblong, or oval sori on each lobe. Northern Island, in damp places in woods; also in a small bush on the banks of the Waimea, Nelson, Rather rare.

A small scented fern belonging to a genus nearly allied to this, --(Woodwardia,) is to be found in the Wairarapa, about 50 miles from Wellington. It has not yet been found by collectors but the natives have brought in plants for sale. They attach a high value to it on account of the perfume and are said to be anxious to conceal its habitat from Europeans.

GEN. XVIII. --DOODIA.

1. D. caudata. Fronds very harsh, 3-18 inches long, pinnate; upper part, pinnatifid, and elongated; pinnae narrow, sharply toothed.

GEN. XIX. --POLYSTICHUM.

1. P. coriaceum. Fronds 6-24 inches high, thick in texture, bi-pinnate, sometimes pinnate, scattered, ona creeping rhizome; sori large, brown, or black; rachis generally with spreading scale-like hairs. Throughout the Island.

2. P. aristatum. Frond pinnate, or bi-pinnate, very stiff, tufted; rachis and stipes hairy; lobes of pinnae terminating in a

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sharp point, sori very numerous. Common from the Bay of Islands to Banks' Peninsula.

3. P. hispidum. Peculiar to New Zealand and abundant throughout the Islands. To be known at once by its finely-cut, tri-quadri-pinnate frond; 1-3 feet high with long, stiff, spreading, black hairs, on the rachis and stipes.

4. P. vestitum. A very handsome fern, with numerous fronds; 1-3 feet high, stiff, spreading like a crown from the top of a stout rhizome; fronds bi-pinnate, pinnae long and narrow; pinnules short, stalked, and deeply cut; rachis and stipes densely clothed with large, broad, dark-brown, scales. Mountainous parts of the Northern, and throughout the Middle, and Southern Islands.

A fern has been lately found at Otago which is either a variety of this species or altogether a new one to these Islands. The specimens we have seen are about 7 inches long, bright, light-green bi-pinnate; thick, but not stiff, in texture; with numerous, pale brown, narrow, scales; and numerous sori with very prominent and large involucra; pinnae near together, and the upper ones overlapping each other.

GEN. XX. --NEPHRODIUM.

1. N. decompositum. Frond a span to 3 feet high, generally tri-pinnate; sori small, numerous; stipes and rachis pale brown; the former, slender and long, in proportion to the frond; whole plant smooth.

Var. B. Surface of the frond, stipes, and rachis, downy. Throughout the Northern and Middle Islands, as far south as Banks' Peninsula.

2. N. velutinum. It is difficult to draw a line between this and some states of V. decompositum; it is generally a larger plant with a tri-quadri-pinnate frond, very broad at the base; rachis and stipes red-brown with the down which covers them, and which also gives a soft, velvety, appearance to the whole frond. Abundant throughout the Islands.

3. N. squamulosum. Very peculiar looking; frond light green, perfectly smooth, pinnate, with a remarkably long, slender stipes rising from a prostrate, woody, rhizome; pinnae pinnatifid, the segments much narrower in the fertile, than in the barren state, as the edges then curl over. Bay of Islands and East Coast. Swamp at Mangarei.

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4. N. molle. Fronds 8-18 inches high, dark green, pinnate; terminal pinnae much elongated; pinnae almost at right angles to the rachis, deeply notched; sori numerous all round the lobes and extending to the costa. Rotomahana.

5. Specimens have been sent home of another Nephrodium, also found near the Hot Springs, which has not yet received a specific name; it differs from the latter chiefly, in having its pinnae tending upwards, and in the position of the sori, which are confined to the lobes, and do not extend to the costa.

GEN. XXI. --NEPHROLEPIS.

1. The species found by Dr. Hochstetter is pinnate, about 1 foot long; pinnae roundish with toothed margins; rachis with scattered, scaly hairs. He thus describes its habitat: "From the same range," (the Pairoa, on the eastern side of the Waikato not far from Taupo,) "the warm-water river Waikite takes its origin. On both sides are deep pools of boiling water, on the margins of which we discovered most beautiful ferns, hitherto unknown. These ferns are remarkable not only for their elegance, but also from the peculiar circumstances under which they exist, as they are always surrounded by an atmosphere of steam." Lecture on the Geology of the Province of Auckland, New Zealand.

GEN. XXII. --GONIOPTERIS.

1. G. pennigera. A very tall, handsome, pinnate fern; 2-3 feet high; quite smooth; pinnae long, deeply notched; sori, numerous, small and generally black; this fern often acquires a stout, woody caudex, 6-8 inches high, covered with the bases of old stipes. Common, in shady places as far south as Akaroa.

GEN. XXIII. --POLYPODIUM.

1. P. rugulosum. Whole plant more or less covered with a reddish down; a span to 3 feet high. Frond bi-tri-quadri-pinnate, more or less membranous, pinnae very variable in length; pinnules joined by a broad base, lobed; stipes and rachis generally dark brown, slender, rough to the touch; often hairy; rhizome rigid, woody, creeping, and scaly, sending up distant fronds. Throughout the Islands.

2. P. sylvaticum. Exactly resembling Polystichum vestitum in growth, form, and texture; and only differing from it in the generic characteristic, --naked sori. Northern Island; mountainous woods, East Coast and Interior. Port Nicholson.

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3. P. Grammitidis. Fronds an inch to a span long, tufted, thick in texture; perfectly smooth, with the exception of scales at the base of the stipes; deeply pinnatifid; pinnules somewhat distant, linear, entire or lobed, often irregularly so; sori generally oblong; short stipes winged nearly to the base. Dwarf states have small, linear, lobed, fronds. Throughout the Islands, generally on trunks of trees.

GEN. XXIV. --PHYMATODES.

1. P. Billardieri. The two species of this genus may be at once distinguished merely by the rhizome. In the present species it is thick, fleshy, and green, dotted with short brown scales; creeping over trunks of trees, &c., to which it clings by fibrous roots. Fronds varying in shape and size, simple or pinnatifid, 3 inches to 1 foot long, bright green, shining; rachis and costa stout. Abundant throughout the Islands.

2. P. postulate. Rhizome creeping over trees, &c., somewhat slender, tough, densely clothed with brown, scale-like, hairs; fronds varying in form, generally narrower than in the last species, more membranous; stipes generally winged. As far South as Akaroa.

GEN. XXV. --DICTYMIA.

1. D. lanceolate. Fronds perfectly smooth, simple, narrowed at each end, tufted; roots brown, or black, woolly; sori large, globose, in one series on each side of the costa. Throughout the Northern Island.

GEN. XXVI. --ARTHROPTERIS.

1. . A. tenella. A climbing, pinnate fern; rhizome very long, slender, rigid, scaly; fronds scattered, pendulous; pinnae stalked, narrowed to a point, margins waved. Throughout the Northern Island; climbing lofty trees.

GEN. XXVII. --NIPHOBOLUS.

1. N. rupestris. Rhizome creeping, slender, scaly; fronds 1 1/2 to 8 inches long, simple, leathery in texture; almost oval in a barren state; but when fertile much longer and narrower. Abundant on rocks and trees throughout the Islands.

Gen. XXVIII. --Grammitis.

1. G. australis. Fronds densely crowded, simple, long, narrow; the oblique, oblong sori at once distinguish this fern. Throughout the Islands.

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Var. B. villosa. Fronds hairy.

Var. C. alpina. Fronds 1/2 inch high, thick, oval; forming dense, moss-like, patches; sori growing in a mass towards the apex of the fronds. Mountains between Nelson and the Wairau.

GEN. XXIX. --GYMNOGRAMMA.

1. G. rutaefolia. Fronds densely tufted, 3-5 inches long, delicate in texture, hairy, pinnate. Pinna stalked, wedge or fanshaped, more or less lobed. Very rare. East Coast; Colenso.

2. G. leptophylla. Fronds perfectly smooth, an inch to a span high, membranous and shining, pale green, bi-tri-pinnatifid; stipes and main rachis usually red-brown, brittle, shining, grooved in front. Dry hills on the East Coast. Summit of Mount Wellington.

GEN. XXX. --NOTHOLAENA.

1. N. distans. Fronds densely tufted, 3-10 inches high, rigid, scaly, bipinnate; or pinnate, with the pinnae pinnatifid; pinnae small, distant, shaggy; rachis and slender stipes grooved and scaly; roots fibrous, densely matted. Northern Island, on exposed rocks.

GEN. XXXI. --LYGODIUM.

1. L. articulatum. Stem tough, wire-like, knotted and shining, climbing from tree to tree; barren fronds, perfectly smooth, dividing into stalked, strap-shaped, spreading, bright green pinna; fertile fronds with frequently dividing stalks terminating in numerous, small, crowded, spikes of fructification. Common in woods throughout the Islands.

GEN. XXXII. --SCHIZAEA.

1. S. propinqua. Frond resembling a long stalk, once or twice branched, rough to the touch, each branch terminating in a brown comb of fructification.

2. S. bifida. Frond not branched, smooth, otherwise resembling the last. Northern Island and north part of Middle Island.

3. S. dichotoma. Frond a span to 2 feet high, simple below, stiff; dividing above into narrow, linear segments, spread out like a fan, and each segment terminating in a small comb of fructification. Kauri forests.

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GEN. XXXII.--LEPTOPTERIS.

1. L. hymenophylloides. Fronds 4 inches to 2 1/2 feet high, springing from a stout, erect rhizome; bright green and translucent; pinnae flat, finely cut, scarcely diminishing in size towards the base. As far south as Banks' Peninsula.

2. L. superba. To be distinguished from the former by its greater size and the gradually diminishing pinna, the frond being thus tapering at both ends; pinnae thick and moss-like from the numerous fine, erect pinnules. Both this and the last fern lose their bright, fresh colour in drying. Mountainous parts of the Northern and throughout the Middle and Southern Islands.

GEN. XXXIV. --TODEA.

1. T. Africana. A very large, handsome, bi-pinnate fern; pinnules, joined to the rachis by a broad base, long, narrow, sharply notched; sori, masses of globose capsules, almost covering the pinnules; rachis smooth, light brown. Mount Camel. Hokianga.

GEN. XXXV. --MARATTIA.

1. M. Salicina. Rhizome a round, hard, fleshy mass (roasted and eaten by the natives), from which many tall fronds arise; fronds thick in texture, dark green, bi-tri-pinnate, 10-18 feet high; pinnules generally shortly-stalked, long and narrow, with notched margins; rachis stout, smooth, but in the young shoots both this and the stipes are scaly. Northern and Eastern parts of the Northern Island. Taranaki.

GEN. XXXVI. --OPHIOGLOSSUM.

1. O. vulgatum. Root of long, fleshy, fibres, sometimes descending from a tuberous rhizome; frond simple, erect, 1 inch to a foot long, bearing one simple, thick leaf, (rarely two); spike of fructification longer than the leaf.

Var. B. costatum. Frond oval and pointed above, or tapering at each end.

Var. C. gramineum. Frond oval or sharply pointed at both ends, costa and veins hidden.

Var. D. lusitanicum. Frond very narrow, and pointed at each end.

Var.. E minimum. Very small, 1-2 inches high.

Common in grassy places throughout the Islands.

GEN. XXXVII. --BOTRYCHIUM.

1. B. Virginicum. Frond solitary, 3 inches to 2 feet high, consisting of one succulent, tri-pinnate, leaf, and a long, erect, stalk, bearing a many-branched spike of capsules. Northern and Middle Islands, as far south as Canterbury, in open land.

FINIS.