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CHAPTER I.

EXPLANATORY.

Although the ferns of New Zealand have long been proverbial for
their beauty and variety, no work has yet been published professing
to treat of them alone. They have been classified and described
by Dr. Hooker in his “ Flora Novae Zealandise,” and they are also
mentioned in several books on ferns, but these works are too vol-
uminous and expensive to suit the means of many, so that whilst
the collection and preservation of these beautiful plants has become
a popular amusement, few can name or classify their specimens.
The following pages have been written with the desire, in some
measure, to supply the meaiio by which those who at present collect
ferns without any knowledge of their botanical names may add to
the pleasure of their pursuit by the systematic arrangement of their
acquisitions : The use of scientific terms has been, as far as possible,
avoided, and complete botanical descriptions must not be sought for in
this pamphlet, but no tern hitherto found in the Islands has been left
unmentioned, and it is hoped that the characteristics given of each
will be sufficient to enable the enquirer to identify and arrange them.

It will perhaps be well to commence our subject by finding
out the place that ferns take in the entire system of botanical
classification, and their relation to the rest of the vegetable world.

De Candolle distributes all plants into three great classes, —
Exogens, Endogens, and Acrogens ; plants belonging to the last
of these classes have no wood, or wood having a sinuous struc-
ture, no flowers, and bear reproductive organs called spores.
Acrogens again are divided into sub-classes Foliacese and Aphyllae,
the first comprehending those that have, the second those that
have not, distinct stem and leaves, and in the first of these sub-
classes we shall find the natural order Filices (Ferns) with this
I essential character : — A distinct stem and leaves, the latter
[usually divided into numerous pieces, and marked with veins
either simple, forked, or anatomosing. Vernation circinate. Repro-
j ductive organs either upon the back or margin of ordinary leaves
I or wrapped up in, or covering separate and contracted leaves.

Thus we arrive at a clear definition of our subject and find
that, of the three great classes that comprehend all plants from
'} the most stately tree to the minutest sea-weed, ferns belong to
the third ; and further that they form the first Natural Order in

3

Explanatory.

the first of the two sub-classes into which Acrogens are divided.
The number of known living species of ferns has been estimated at
2,000, and of fossil ferns there are some hundreds already known
of species entirely distinct , from those now existing. Of these
it may be added for the information of any one who may be
travelling in that direction that Dr. Hochstetter mentions “a locality
on the West Coast, about 7 miles south of Waikato Heads, where
beautiful fossil ferns are imbedded in grey argillaceous strata alter-
nating with sandstone layers and small coal-seams.”

The distribution of species is remarkably wide, and this, as
well as another fact, to be hereafter mentioned has led to great
confusion of nomenclature. Thus, a local botanist, finding a fern
new to him, bestows upon it a name and when it has gained some
currency, it perhaps falls into the hands of one better informed on
the subject, who forthwith shows the plant to be one which has
already received two or three names from presumed discoverers
in various parts of the world. In this manner,* one of the New
Zealand ferns has received no less than eight different names !
Dr. Hooker comprises 117 species in his Flora Novae Zealandiae,
of which he says, 30 are of such wide distribution that they may
be termed cosmopolitan or mundane ; 30 inhabit South America ;
61 Australia and Tasmania ; 10 are European; several which are
not known to be natives of Australia or America, have been found
in the lofty mountains of Java ; and others in South America.
Still he gives 42 as peculiar to New Zealand, although it is not
unlikely that they may yet be found common to other parts of
the world. Since the publication of his work several other species
have been discovered in these islands.

Before proceeding further, it will be necessary to become
acquainted with the names of the various parts of ferns ; and also
with a few botanical terms, the use of which we have been unable
altogether to avoid. The rhizome is the underground rooting
stem ; the stipes is the stalk from the ground up to the commence-
ment of the leafy pert ; the continuation of this stalk is called
the rachis ; the principal veins branching from the rachis are
costae and those branching again from the latter are termed costules,
veins, or veinlets ; rhizome, stipes, rachis, costae and costules
forming as it were the skeleton of the fern. When the veins do
not branch they are simple ; when they branch and the branches
do not meet or run into one another they are forked and free ;
when they branch and unite again so as to form a network they
are anastomosing ; in such case the spaces between the veins,
within their meshes, if we may so speak, are termed areoles. The
whole leaf is called a frond , its primary divisions are pinnae ; and

* Pteris incisa, Dr. Hooker describes it as P. Vespertilionis,
but we have given the former name in accordance with a work more
recently published by Sir William J. Hooker, who decides that it is
the oldest name of the eight.

4

Explanatory.

when the pinnae have distinct leaflets these are pinnules :
segments and lobes are terms indifferently applied to the projecting
parts of notched fronds, pinnae, and pinnules ; the recess between
lobes is a sinus. A frond is pinnate when its pinnae are quite
separate from each other ; when they unite before reaching the
rachis : the frond is pinnatijid ; bi-tri-pinnate and bi-tri-pinnatijid
are terms applied to fronds which are thus divided twice or thrice,
their pinnae and pinnules being more or less deeply cut in like
manner with the frond itself : when a frond has neither pinnae nor
pinnules itis simple. Each of the little masses of fructification*
is a sorus, and generally consists of a number of capsules which
in their turn contain spores — the microscopic reproductive organs.
The capsules are sometimes surrounded wholly or in part by an
elastic ring or annulus , a microscopic feature in most ferns ; but
in others, especially in some of the tree-ferns, distinctly visible
with the aid of a pocket lens, and bearing the appearance of a
spiral wire spring of exceeding fineness and beauty. In some
species the capsules are placed on a receptacle elevated from the
surface of the frond, and they have also in many cases a covering
which varies in form and substance, and is called an involucre §
when this is wanting the sorus is said to be naked. By means
of the growth, arrangement, and absence or presence, of these
different parts, the order Filices has been divided into tribes ,
genera and species : a gradually narrowing circle, one tribe often
containing many genera ; each genus, many species ; and great
variation even being sometimes observable between individuals of
a species. To this last point we would particularly draw the atten-
tion of our readers : each species is generally supposed, (although
there is great difference of opinion upon the subject,) to have pro-
ceeded from its own parent plant, but often, from difference of
climate, soil, or situation, individuals of a species vary consider-
ably ; so that when ferns, although apparently very different, are
apt to revert to one original type ; or when specimens have been
found which by a series of extremely close links unite each other
to some particular species, they are only considered varieties as
they may well be referred to a common parent plant. Many
ferns varying in this way have received names as new species ; and
one only partially acquainted with botany is very apt to make
this mistake, as the varieties which complete the chain are often
found in far distant localities. Thus, Dr. Hooker observes, that
before he could define the characteristics of Lomaria procera ,
“whose varieties to an unpractised eye are more dissimilar than
other species of the same genus,” he had to examine many hundred
specimens of that plant gathered not only in New Zealand, but in
Australia, South Africa, and South America.

* Or seeds.

§ It should be observed that the involucra often fall off or are hidden
when the fructification is very fully developed so that specimens with
immature as well as mature son should be examined.

o

CHAPTER II.

OF TRIBES.

Ferns are divided into tribes principally by the microscopic
characteristics of the position and form of the annulus, and the
manner in which the capsules burst ; we should, nevertheless, recom-
mend any one wishing to find the name of a fern, to commence by
trying to refer it to its proper tribe. This may often be done even
without the aid of a microscope ; thus the tribe Hymenophyllece
may always be recognized by the translucent frond, only one of
the tribe, amongst those found in New Zealand, failing in this
characteristic, and that one having its sorus so evidently projec-
ting beyond the margin of the frond as to leave no doubt to
which of the tribes it should be referred. Then again the stalked
spikes, (quite distinct from deformed fronds,) of the Ophioglossece
are plain enough, and the Cyathece may also readily be distinguished,
the globose sorus being quite apparent to the naked eye and with
the help of a magnifying glass or pocket lens, the elevated recep-
tacle may be plainly seen. Of the other tribes, a beginner,
without microscopic aid would be very apt to confound the
members ; for instance he might not be able to decide whether
a fern having naked sorus belongs to the first, the sixth
or the fourth tribe. Still something is gained by the
enquiry being narrowed to these three tribes ; the genera compre-
hended in them must next be consulted, and here the more
particular descriptions will most likely lead to a decision that it
belongs to one of two or three genera, even if it cannot with
certainty be referred to its own particular genus. Finally the
species must be sought, and if due attention be paid to all the little
peculiarities of the fern, one description only will be found to suit
it exactly. Still it is not improbable that one beforehand totally
unacquainted with botany may at first fail in naming a fern ; we can
only recommend such to persevere, presently they will come to one
with more clear characteristics than the rest, they decide without a
doubt its name, others that before seemed to tally with that
description fall back into their own places and, finding here one
and there one, order gradually arises out of confusion.

6

Of Tribes.

Tribe I. Gleicheniaeece. Capsules in each sorus 1-6, without
stalks, bursting longitudinally, completely surrounded by an oblique
or transverse ring. Gen. I.

Tribe II. Cyatliece. Sorus globose, capsules with an incom-
plete vertical ring, placed on an elevated receptacle, often mixed
with jointed hairs. This tribe includes all the tree-ferns of New
Zealand. Gen. II — IV.

Tribe III. Hymenophyllece. Sorus at or beyond the margin
of the frond, always terminating a vein ; capsules on a thread, or
club-shaped often much elongated receptacle, girt with an oblique
ring. Fronds very delicate and translucent (except in Loxsoma.)

Gen. V— VII.

Tribe IV. Polypodies. Sorus generally on the back of the
frond, rounded or linear ; capsules not placed on an elevated recep-
tacle, stalked, partly girt with a vertical ring, bursting transversely
on the side where the ring is wanting. This large tribe may be
divided into :

Sub-tribe A. Sorus covered with the more or less altered
margin of the frond. Gen. VIII. -XIII.

Sub-tribe B. Sorus covered with involucra. Gen.
XIV— XXI.

Sub-tribe C. Sorus naked. Gen. XXII.-XXX.

Tribe V. Schizaeeae. Sori arranged in overlapping spikes or on
divisions of the frond bent back and altered ; capsules not stalked,
striped at the apex as they terminate in a horizontal ring. Gen.
XXXI, XXXII.

Tribe VI. Osmundeae. Sori naked ; capsules stalked, with
a broad, dorsal, incomplete ring bursting lengthwise. Gen.
XXXIII, XXXIV.

Tribe VII. Marattiese. Capsules without a ring, combined
into an oblong or linear mass (sorus) which bursts down the
middle. Gen. XXXV.

Tribe VIII. Ophioglosseae. Sori in stalked spikes, distinct
from the frond, without a ring, globose, bursting transversely into
two valves. Gen. XXXVI, XXXVII.

7

Tribe 1— II. G*n. I— II,

CHAPTEK III

OF GENERA.

As we descend from the great divisions of our subject
to the less, we find much more obvious characteristics by which
to guide our enquiries. Instead of having, as in the last chapter,
to turn our attention to the capsules and their annulus we find
that the generical description is chiefly concerning the shape and
position of the sorus, the absence or presence and form of the
involucre and the manner in which the veins are arranged, for
although other characteristics maybe occasionally mentioned, those
of fructification and venation are the most important.

Tribe I. — Gleicheneace.®.

Gen. I. — Gleichenia. Sorus naked, although in some of the
species the margin is so curled back as almost to conceal it. The
ferns of this genus are stiff and leathery in texture ; stipes erect,
stiff, generally very tall and slender ; the frond branches
dichotomously, — that is, divides at one point into two which
branches in their turn divide in like manner, often bend-
ing gracefully on either side. 4 Species. This genus is divided
into two sections :

§ 1. — Eugleichenia. Sorus at the point of a veinlet. Seg-
ments of the pinnae very narrow and notched. Sp. 1, 2.

§ 2. — Mertensia. Sorus at the middle or angle of a veinlet.
Segments of the pinnae with even edges. Sp. 3, 4.

Tribe II. — Cy Athene.

Gen. II. — Cyathea. Sorus on the back of the frond, removed
from the margin, although when very ripe the whole of the back of
the frond is sometimes covered by the mass of fructification. In-
volucre globose, at first closed but when ripe bursting irregularly ]

8

Tkibe II — III. Gen. Ill VI.

either at the base or apex and forming a kind of cup whence this*
genus takes its name. A large genus of tree-ferns. 4 Species.

Gen. III. Alsopliila. Sorus on the back of the frond ; re-
ceptacle prominent ; no involucre ; trunk generally arborescent,
but in the New Zealand species often absent. 1 Species.

Gen. IV. Dicksonia. Sorus near the edge of the frond ;
globose, on an elevated receptacle, involucre two-valved, the “true5'
one springing from the point of a vein and often very inconspicuous,
the “false” one formed of a lobe of the pinnule turned back and
covering the other. Having generally an arborescent stem. 3 Species.

Tribe III. — Hymenophylle^e.

Gen. V. Hymenophyllum. Sorus marginal ; the receptacle
on which the capsules are arranged is either immersed in the edge
of the frond or protruded beyond it. The cup- shaped or boxlike,
often flattened, involucre is formed of the substance of the frond,
the outer edges of the valves do not unite ; the involucre is
sometimes produced beyond the edge of the frond and stalked.
These ferns are almost always to be found in damp forests
and are easily recognized by their delicate, pellucid, bright green
fronds in which only two genera at all resemble them. 15 Species,
which may be divided into :

§ A. Fronds quite smooth ; margins toothed like a saw but
without hairs. Species 1 — 5.

§ B. Fronds smooth or with the costa and rachis only hairy;
margins not toothed. Species 6 — 13.

*a. Fronds pinnatifid, rarely pinnate below ; the rachis, and
generally the stipes having a margin of the texture of the frond*
Species 6 — 10.

*b. Frond pinnate below, stipes and lower part of rachis
without the fine margin. Species 11 — 13.

§ C. Costa, margins and sometimes the surface of the frond
[ clothed with hairs, which, when closely observed, may be seen to
radiate in little bunches from various points. Species 14, 15.

Gen. VI. Trichomanes. Sorus marginal ; involucre tubular,
‘ of the same texture as the frond, narrowed at the base, widening at
the apex ; the receptacle often protruding like a hair. This is a
more tropical genus than Hymenopyllum from which it may be
distinguished by the tubular or trumpet-shaped involucre which is
less obviously two-lipped, often quite circular at the mouth, and

b* 9

Tribe II- IV. Gen. VII— XII.

also by the protruding thread like-receptacle. Fronds generally
delicate and pellucid. 6 Species.

Gen. VII. Loxsoma. Sorus marginal, situated in the angles
of the notched pinnse ; involucre thick in texture as is the frond ;
receptacle protruded ; capsules crowded upon it and mixed with
jointed hairs. 1 Species.

Tribe IV. — Polypodies.

Sub-Tribe A.

Gen. VIII. Adiantum. Sorus marginal, dotlike ; involucre
membranous, kidneyshaped, formed of the edge of the frond tur-
ned back and bearing the capsules on its under surface, its surface
is veined, the veins being continuous with those of the pinnules.
6 Species.

Gen. IX. Hypolepis. Sorus dot-like, marginal, separate ;
involucre springing at its point from a vein formed of a recurved
lobe, but sometimes the margin is so slightly bent back that the
sorus is really naked. In habit and general appearance this genus
differs widely from the preceding one, which may always be
recognized by its marginal, kidney-shaped, involucres. 3 Species.

Gen. X. Cheilanthes. Sorus marginal ; the capsules very
numerous and prominent, often covering the small pinnules ;
involucre as in Hypolepis, except that, instead of isolated teeth or
lobes of the pinnules, larger portions of the margin are bent back
over the sori, forming, in a greater or less degree, a continuous invol-
ucre. The only New Zealand representative of this genus is much
smaller and more insignificant than those of Hypolepis, as will be
seen on reference to the species. 1 Species.

Gen. XI. Pellea. Sorus line-like or oblong, marginal,
growing towards the end of the simple or forked veins, at length
forming one mass, a continued, more or less broad, marginal line of
fructification ; involucre narrow, continuous, formed of the mem-
branous edge of the frond at first turned back and at length fre-
quently spread open so as to expose the entire fructification.
Both the New Zealand species are pinnate. This genus is inclu-
ded in Pteris by Dr. Hooker, but in a more recent work by Sir
William J. Hooker it has been separated on account of the difference
in the position of the capsules. 2 Species.

Gen. XII. Pteris. Sorus line-like, marginal, continuous,
capsules inserted in the groove between the frond and the involucre;
the latter marginal, continuous, having a dry shrivelled appearance.
6 Species, which may be divided into :

10

Tribe IV. Gen. XIII— XVII.

§. Eupteris. Veins forked, free. Species 1 — 3.

§. Litobrochia. Veins more or less anastomosing. Species 4-6.

Gen. XIII. Lomaria. Sori on a separate frond, capsules
finally covering the whole surface of the narrow pinnae ; involucre
marginal, continuous, thin and shrivelled ; sometimes reaching
to the costa, but when the fructification is ripe often very incon-
spicuous. The fronds generally growing in tufts, the central ones
bearing fructification, the rest barren. 13 Species, which may be
thus divided :

§ A. Sterile fronds, pinnate, having their pinnae stalked.

Species 1 — 3.

§ B. Pinnae of barren fronds not stalked but joined by a
more or less broad base to the rachis. Species 4 — 12.

§ C. Frond bi-pinnatifid. Species 1 3.

Sub-Tribe B.

Gen. XIV. Davallia. Sorus marginal, oval or circular ;
involucre rising from the point of a vein, joined to the back of the
frond by its base or by its base and sides. 1 Species.

Gen. XV. Cystopteris. Sorus on the back of the frond in
the middle of a veinlet ; involucre nearly circular but attached by
a broad base to the sorus ; veins forked and free. 1 Species.

Gen. XVI. Lindsea. Sorus linear, on or just within the
margin, tipping with a line of fructification each of the little pin-
nules ; involucre opening outwards, formed of two plates, the
upper one of the same texture as the frond and formed of it, the
lower membranous and rising from the ends of the veins. 2 Species.

Gen. XVII. Asplenium. This genus is distinguished by
bearing on the back of the frond linear sori, covered by a linear
involucre which is attached lengthwise to a veinlet, opening length-
wise and inwards ; sometimes the fronds are cut or divided be-
tween every veinlet, when the sori become marginal and the
involucres appear to open outwards, but if the whole pinnae be
carefully regarded, it will be seen that the involucre really opens
towards its costa. 9 Species which may be divided into :

§ A. Fronds simply pinnate, pinnae toothed. In one
species the lower pinnae are sometimes pinnate. Species 1 — 4.

§ B. Fronds bi-pinnatifid, bi-tri-pinnate, sometimes divided
into many long narrow pinnules, when the sori become marginal.
Species 5-8.

11

Tribe IV. Gen. XVIII— XXVII.

§. Allantodia. Involucre membranous, arched, both margins
attached to the vein. Species 9.

Gen. XVIII. Doodia. Sori short, linear or crescent-shaped
on the back of the frond and forming a row on each side of the
costa and parallel to it. Involucre linear, opening towards the
costa and parallel to it, placed on an arching veinlet that joins two
veins. 1 Species.

Gen. XIX. Polystichum. Sori placed on the middle of the
veins at the back of the frond. Involucre circular, attached by its
centre to the sorus, its edges free all round. 4 Species.

Gen. XX. Nephrodium. Distinguished from Polystichum by
its involucre being kidney-shaped and attached by the sinus.
5 Species.

Gen. XXI. Nephrolepis. Veins forked, very close, sunk in
the frond, terminating at some distance from the margin, a
large joint, twice forked, the upper and shorter joint
terminating in a sorus. Involucre kidney-shaped. 1 Species.

Sub-Tribe C.

Gen. XXII. Goniopteris. Sori round, naked and numerous,
placed on the middle of each veinlet ; veinlets in each lobe free,
but those nearest the costa meet those of the next lobe at an angle,

1 Species.

Gen. XXIII. Polypodium. Sori round, naked, placed on
the middle of a veinlet ; veins forked and free, never uniting again
as in Goniopteris. 3 Species.

Gen. XXIV. Phymatodes. Distinguished by the large,
naked sori, partly sunk in the frond, and the anastomosing veins.

2 Species.

Gen. XXV. Dictymia. May be recognized by the simple
frond which is so thick as to conceal the veins, and by the large,
naked sori which are often oval rather than round. 1 Species.

Gen. XXVI. Arthropteris. Veins forked, free ; veinlets
terminating within the margin ; small, circular, naked sori at the
end of the veinlet, forming a single series all round the pinnse,
nearer the margin than the costa. 1 Species.

Gen. XXVII. Niphobolus. May at once be known by the thick
white scales, covering its under surface and giving it an almost

12

Tribe IV -VII. Gen. XXVIII -XXXV.

woolly appearance. Frond simple, leathery. Sori numerous, round,
protruding through the white covering. 1 Species.

Gen. XXVIII. Grammitis. Sori oblong or linear, naked, in
one series on each side of the costa to which they are oblique ;
veins immersed in the simple frond. 1 Species.

Gen. XXIX. Gymnogramma. Sori naked occupying the
veins and veinlets, hence often running in lines and forking, or
covering the spaces between the veins and forming a mass of fruc-
tification. 2 Species.

Gen. XXX. Notholaena. The only New Zealand species
very much resembles Cheilanthes ternuifolia, but may be distin-
guished by its scaly, hairy frond ; sorus marginal, naked, but
sometimes partially concealed by the margin of the frond.
1 Species.

Tribe V. — Schiz^ee,®.

Gen. XXXI. Lygodium. A remarkable genus of creeping,
wiry ferns ; fertile and barren fronds differing in form ; fertile
fronds repeatedly branching dichotomously, the stalk thus
dividing three or four times between its point of junction with
the stem and its fertile lobes, the leafy part of which is very incon-
spicuous, being almost concealed by the numerous little spikes of
fructification with which they terminate. 1 Species.

Gen. XXXII. Schizsea. A very curious geiaus to be distin-
guished by the small pinnatifid limb or comb with which each frond
or each pinna terminates, and on which the capsules are arranged in
two series, partially covered by its incurved margin. Ferns of
this genus often have the appearance of withered stalks, with a
little brown comb of fructification at the top. 3 Species.

Tribe VI. — Osmunde^e.

Gen. XXXIII. Leptopteris. The New Zealand ferns of this
genus are very finely cut, bright green and translucent. Capsules
scattered over the back of the frond on the veins. 2 Species.

Gen. XXXIV. Todea. May be distinguished from Leptopteris
by its fronds being very thick in texture. 1 Species.

Tribe VII. — Marattie^e.

Gen. XXXV. Marattia. Sori of very curious structure placed at
the ends of the veins, just within the margin, and consisting of two
opposite, parallel, plates which are marked within by transverse

13

Tribe VIII. cIex. XXXVI, XXXVII.

gashes, opening into as many cells which contain the spores. These
sori have very much the appearance of so many carraway-seeds.
1 Species.

Tribe VIII. — Ophioglosse/E.

Gen. XXXVI. Ophioglossum. Frond thick, juicy, simple ;

fructification on a flattened spike distinct from the barren frond.

1 Species.

Gen. XXXVII. Botrycliium. Frond thick, juicy, tri-pinnate ; i
fructification in a large, many-spiked cluster at the end of a long
erect stalk. 1 Species.

Ges. 1. Species 1, 2.

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 pur-
pose 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 endea-
voured 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. — § Eugleichenia.

1. G. semi-vestita. Fronds 1 J to 3 feet high ; stipes tall, smooth,
cylindrical, often shining below, woolly or chaffy above. Pinnae
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.

n 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. alp/ino.. Stunted and very woolly.

Oen. I, Species 3. — (Ie^. III., Species 1.

§ 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. 0. 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. I
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. Avery 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

Gen. IV. Sp. I. — Gen. V. Sp. 2.

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 pinnae, 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.
wjtaarrosa. Wellington. Turanga.

3. JD. 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 whieh are very conspicuous. Bay of Islands.
Wangarei. East Coast, and interior of Northern Island.

Gen. V. — Hymenophyllum.

§ 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^ inches in
height with very narrow pinnae, 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 U. Tunbridgense only in having
involucra, with smooth uncut edges;

1 1

Gen. Y. Sp. 3. — Gen. V. Sp. 11.

3. II. minimum. A very small plant, closely allied to the fore-
going, but smaller, and having little spines on the back of its in-
volucre, as well as round its margin. Growing on roots of trees, &c. '
Scarce.

4. H. multijidum. 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 ob-
viously two-lipped. Abundant throughout the islands.

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

§ 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 dis-
tinguished 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 . II. crispatum. May be known by the crisped, or frilly
margin to the stipes and rachis ; the segments also more or less par-
taking 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-pinnati-
fid ; stipes only winged at the top ; involucra generally numerous.
The whole plant has a peculiar odour, especially when dry. Abun-
dant.

§ B. * b.

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

18

Gen. V, Sp. 12. — Gen. VI, Sp. 6.

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

12. II. 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. II. flabdlatum. A very bright green species, generally
found on the trunks of tree-ferns ; 2-8 inches long ; somewhat re-
sembling H. demissum , but distinguished from it by having broad,
‘fan-shaped, lower pinnae ; and light, soft, woolly, hairs at the base of
the stipes, and on the rhizome.

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. Lycdlii. A very distinct little species ; stipes hair-

(like ; frond J-2 inches long, fan-shaped ; involucra sunk in the
apex of the segments ; branching hairs round the margins. Thom-
son’s Sound. Middle Island. Huia, Manukau Heads.

Gen. VL — 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 ;
r-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
mewhat resembling T. humile ; pinnae pinnate or pinnatifid, often

very irregular length. On wet rocks, trunks of tree-ferns, &c.

4. T. Colensoi. Hitherto only found in the dense forests

[linear Waikare Lake. It appears to differ from the two last species
in its distant, shortly stalked, pinnae ; and its involucre, which is
^stalked, instead of being sunk in a segment.

i , 5. T. strictum. Fronds densely tufted ; stipes and rachis

s thick and rigid ; frond pinnate ; pinnae very finely cut into
a 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.

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

19

Gen. VII, Sr. 1. Gen. VIII, Sr. 6.

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 I
deep shade.

Gen. VII. — Loxsoma.

1. L. Cunninghamii. Stipes erect, smooth, polished ; frond 1
broadly triangular, 1-2 feet high, thick in texture, tri-pinnate, gen- |
erally with a whitish under-surface. Scarce. Keri Keri River, j
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 i
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 I
black ; frond limp, sparingly branched, sometimes simply pinnate ;
pinnae, 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. JEthiopicum. Avery beautiful species, of a bright, pale

green, colour ; tri-quadri-pinnate, 6-18 inches high ; stipes long, slen-
der, glossy, brown, as are the rachis and threadlike stalks of the i
pinnules ; sori few ; involucra large, and pale in colour. Open |
fern land, and under scrub. 1

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 j
branched, bi-pinnate, perfectly smooth ; rachis and stipes rather j
stout, black, smooth, and shining ; the under-surface of the pinnules j
is generally of a paler colour than the upper. Common in the !
Northern Island.

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

20

Gen. IX, Sp. 1.— Gen. XII, Sp. 2.

Gen. IX. — Hypolepis.

1. II. 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 ;
j 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,
i 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, other-
wise quite smooth ; pinnae yellow-green, tending upwards, small,
scattered ; pinnules often a mass of fructification.

Gen. XI. — Pelljea.

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 pinnae ; 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 pinnae ; the band of
fructification is also not so continuous. Common as far south as
Banks’ Peninsula.

Gen. XII. — Pteris. § Eupteris.

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

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

21

Gen. XII, Sp. 3. Gen. XIII, Sf. I.

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

3. P. scoberula. 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.

§ 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 pinnae. Immature fronds fade quick-
ly, and dry a blackish green, but when mature and soriferous are
firm and rigid. Throughout the Islands, not uncommon on the
margins of wroods.

5. P. (Litobrochia) macilenta. Frond 1-5 feet high, bright |
green, bi-quadri-pinnate ; the upper pinnules are joined by a broad i
base to the rachis, the lower ones are stalked, scattered, and deeply I
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 ; pinnse and pinnules broad, close
together ; tips of the latter, notched. Bay of Islands. Great Bar-
rier. Manukau Harbour.

Although these three ferns are very different in appearance,
it is difficult, without the use of technical language, to des-
cribe the distinction between them. Perhaps the light under-
surface 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, j
when there can be no difficulty in giving each its right name.

Gen. XIII. — Lomaria.

§ 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.

22

Gen. XIII, Species 1. Gen. XIII, Species 6.

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. L. Jluviatilis . 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 costae of the numerous,
rounded, sterile pinnae. 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 6 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.

§ B.

4. L. elongata. A handsome fern found on the Bimu »Tuka ;
Mount Egmont ; and abundant towards the south of the Middle
Island. Fronds 1 — 3 feet high, broad, deep green, shining: seg-
ments 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 red-
dish 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.

6. L. lanceolata. 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.

23

Gen. XIII, Species 7. Gen. XXV, Species 1.

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. Gerrnainii. Small and with the pinnae closely over- 1
Japping one another, otherwise much resembling L. Alpina. Lately
discovered on the mountains between Nelson and the Wairau.

10. L. Bariksii. 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 Rocks, Taranaki. Middle and Southern Islands.

11. A. 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,

§c.

13. L. Fraseri, Only found in New Zealand, its bi-pinnatiiid
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. Force Zelandice , A very 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.

u

Gen. XVI, Species 1.— Gen.' XVII, Species 4.

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 pinnae. Common on
dry hills, and under Ti scrub.

2. L. trichomanoicfes. Fronds variable in size and appear-
ance ; sometimes erect, sometimes pendent, when they often attain
the length of two feet; bi-tri-pinnate, bright green ; sori termina-
ting 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.

§A.

1. A. flabellifolium. May be readily known by its long,
narrow, prostrate, or pendulous, frond, with a thread-like continua-
tion 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.

25

Gen. XVII, Species 5. — Gen. XVII, SrEciEs 9.

5. A. polyodon. A very common and beautiful species.
Frond 1 — 2 J 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 pinnoe with deep lobes, lobes toothed. Port
Nicholson.

§ 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 pinnae often winged ; pinnules
deeply cut. Its varieties are very difficult to define, perhaps the
following are the most remarkable.

Var. A. Frond pinn ate, 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. Hooker ianum. 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 Zelandiae 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 con-
siders 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 seg-
ments ; 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.”

Yar. 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. jlaccidum. Very common and variable, generally pen-
dulous from trees ; fronds of a very thick texture and bright

26

Gen. XVII, Sp. 9. Gen. XIX, Sp. 2.

shining green, sori marginal. Dr. Hooker gives the following
varieties which, he says, “are connected by innumerable inter-
mediate ones ; indeed the most opposite characters are some-
times presented by different parts of the same frond.”

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

Yar. B. Fronds pendulous, pinnate ; pinnae stalked, distant, very

long.

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

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

§ Allantodia.

10. A. {Allantodia.) * 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 pin-
natifid ; 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. Bather rare.

A small scented fern belonging to a genus nearly allied to
this, — ( Woodwardia ,) is to be found in the Wairar ipa, 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. XYIII.— 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 tex-
ture, bi-pinnate, sometimes pinnate, scattered, on a 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

*A. Brownii in Dr. Hooker’s FI. N. Zeland.

27

Gen. XIX, Species 3. Gen. XX, Species 3.

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 ; pin-
nules 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 over-
lapping each other.

Gen. XX. — Nephrodium.

1. A 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. A", velutinum. It is difficult to draw a line between this
and some states of A 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. A. 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.

28

Gen. XX, Species 4. Gen. XXIII, Species 2.

4. N. molle. Fronds 8 — 18 inches high, dark green, pinnate;
terminal pinna 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 scat-
tered, 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-pin-
nate, 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 vesti-
tum in growth, form, and texture ; and only differing from it in the
generic characteristic, — naked sori. Northern Island ; mountain-
ous woods, East Coast and Interior. Port Nicholson.

29

Gen. XXIII, Species 3.— Gen. XXVIII, Species 1.

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, 1
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; creep-
ing 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. postulata. Rhizome creeping over trees, &c., some-
what 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. XXY. — Dictymia.

1. D. lanceolata. 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. rupestria. Rhizome creeping, slender, scaly ; fronds 1J
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. XXYIII.— Grammitis.

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

30

Gen. XXIX, Species 1. Gen. XXXII, Species 3.

Var. B. villosa. Fronds hairy.

Var. C. dtpina. Fronds \ 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. rutcefolici. Fronds densely tufted, 3 — 5 inches long,
delicate in texture, hairy, pinnate. Pinnae stalked, wedge or fan-
shaped, 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 Welling-
ton.

Gen. XXX. — Nothol^na.

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 pinnae ; fertile fronds with frequently dividing stalks termi-
nating in numerous, small, crowded, spikes of fructification. Com-
mon in woods throughout the Islands.

Gen. XXXII.— Schiz^a.

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 re-
sembling the last. Northern Island and north part of Middle
Island.

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

31

Gen. XXXII, Species 1. Gen. XXXYII, Species 1.

Gen. XXXII. — Leptopteris.

1. L. hymenophylloides. Fronds 4 inches to 2| feet high,
springing from a stout, erect rhizome ; bright green and translu-
cent ; 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 pinnae, 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. Africanci. A very large, handsonie, 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. 0. vulgatum. Root of long, fleshy, fibres, sometimes de-
scending 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 taper-
ing 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,

32 FINIS .

■

j

=m

FIRST CLASS BOOK CLUBS,

The cost of access to the First-class Literature of the day, has hitherto
debarred the majority of the reading public of Auckland, from participating
in the important advantages which it is calculated to bestow. Impressed
with this fact, and at the same time convinced that the inhabitants of this
city need but the opportunity J. Yarty has determined to establish a
series of

FIRST CLASS BOOK CLUBS

in collection witn his Bookselling and Stationery Business, on a system
which he believes is adapted to meet this popular want, being both liberal
and satisfactory.

The plan which he purposes carrying out may be thus briefly stated,

1st. — That each Book Club shall consist of 52 members, ,this number
being chosen in order to give each member the privilege of naming
one new book for each week during the year.

2nd. — That each member shall pay in advance the sum of Two Guineas,
as an annual subscription to the above club.

3rd. — That any member on the payment of his annual subscription,
shall have the power of selecting one work without regard to
cost, provided of course that it is not of an exorbitant price or
totally unsuitable character, and these selections may be made
from the proprietor’s present stock, the accompanying catalogue
of books shortly expected, or the titles of any work may be given
by the subscriber and it wall be ordered. It is the earnest desire
of the originator of these clubs, to provide their members with the
choicest and most popular literature of the day, and he believes
that this object will be best attained by leaving the selection of
the Books to the individual taste of each person joining.

4th. — That the number of works circulated during the year shall not
be less than 52, so that each subscriber may receive one book per
week, and J. V. will send for and deliver weekly to each Member,
the books in circulation. •

As an earnest of the Class of Books J. Y. is desirous to introduce and in
order to shew the liberality which will characterise the management of
these clubs, he has selected the 10 following volumes which he proposes to
add to the selections of the 52 members of each club, so that there will be
no less than 62 works circulating in each club during the first year.

Comhill Magazine, vol. I., by Thackeray 7s. 6d.

Livingstone’s Travels in Africa 24s. 6d.

Lord Elgin’s Narrative of a Visit to China and Japan, 2 vols. ...48s.
Macaulay’s Biographies being contributions to the “ Ency-

clopadia Britannica” 12s. 6d.

Hans C. Andersen’s Sand Hills of Jutland

Darwin’s Origin of Species

Bowring’s visit to the Phillipine Islands 21s.

Hopes and Fears, by Miss Yonge, authoress of “Heir of

Bedcliffe,” 2 vols 18s.

5th. — That the Books in circulation shall be sold by Private Sale or
Auction amongst the members, at the end of each year, and each
member shall be allowed one fourth of his subscription, (viz. 10s.
6d.) from whatever purchases he may at that time make — so that
the annual subscription will thus be reduced to £1 11s. 6d.

*J5. Varty particularly requests, that persons desirous of joining one of
the clubs, should forward their name and subscription immediately to
prevent any delay in the formation and subsequent delivery of the club
books.

No. 1 WILL COMMENCE ON THE 1st FEBRUARY NEXT.