ARBORESCENT FERNS OF NEW ZEALAND. 167 
amount of weight is taken off from the young and soft stem,— 
while the advanced stage of growth is marked by the addition of a 
buttress, more closely-placed scars, harder woody structure, and 
heavy horizontally-placed fronds. I feel almost certain that the 
different appearance of the young- and the older-formed fronds has 
given rise to the idea of two species, not only in these islands, but 
also, in some descriptions, in other places. 
I now come to the other two Cyatheas; namely, C. Cunning- 
hami and C. Smithii. I have found considerable difficulty in 
making out these two species even when accompanied with plates 
and descriptions. 
О. Cunningham, or. Warted Cyathea, as I have called it for 
distinction.—This fern is seldom met with, except in the vicinity of 
streams in the bush; and where this is cleared away, I think it 
ceases to increase. It appears to me to be less able to resist ex- 
posure than either of those already described. It attains a height 
of 20 feet, or perhaps more, and forms a basal fibrous structure, 
much resembling that of C. dealbata, which extends about 5 feet 
up. The stem is characterized by the remains of the black per- 
sistent bases of the stipites, which are mostly close-pressed to 
the stem for a foot or more; and these, being hollow from decay 
of the cellular substance, often contain plenty of water, and give 
the stem, which is comparatively slender, a ragged, untidy appear- 
ance. The young fronds, or rather as they emerge from the 
fern, are fully charged with scales, which, on the main rachis, 
appear to me to point towards the base, and not upwards to the 
apex, of the frond. The fronds are heavier than in C. Smithi, 
and appear from 20 to 30 in a crown. Rachis marked with linear 
warty scars on either side, besides presenting a remarkable 
warty or glandular (?) opening situated at the base of each pinna 
springing from its sides. Sori numerous, generally on all the 
pinne ; the fertile fronds appear sometimes to be alternate, and 
are more contracted than the barren ones. 
I have called this the Warty Cyathea, to give it a local English 
name, as the others are termed black and white, &c. 
C. Smithii, or acorn-fruited Cyathea.—This fern also is most 
frequent in the immediate neighbourhood of streams, at the 
bottom of well-sheltered gullies. Soil wet or swampy. Stem fully 
22 feet high, densely fibrous below, a little resembling that of Dick- 
sonia antarctica (at the base), and remarkable for the dead pinna- 
less fronds, or rather raches, hanging from the upper part. Fronds 
lanceolate, bipinnate, bright shining green, 8-9 feet long, and very 
