PAPUAN FERNS. 67 
HELMINTHOSTACHYS Kaulfuss. 
1. H. zeylanica (L.) Hooker. 
No. ISOj Ambasi, 
India to New Caledonia. 
SCHIZAEACE^. 
SCHIZAEA Smith. 
1. S. dichotoma (L.) Smith. 
Nos. 137, 2J/3, Ambasi. 
Polynesia to Madagascar. 
King states that this form, S. Forsteri Spr., is readily distinguishable when 
growing, as the branches rise in a cluster, while in typical 8. dichotoma, which 
he has found at Lakekamu, they spread or. even bend down. The man in the 
herbarium is never likely to know his ferns as the good collector does. 
2. S. digitata (L.) Swtz. 
No. 110, Waria River in German New Guinea, altitude 900 ni. 
Fiji to India; and Madagascar (?). 
LYGODIUM Swartz. 
1. L. circinnatum (Burm.) Swtz. 
Nos. 152, 236, Ambasi. 
Queensland to northern India. 
2. L. trifurcatum: see under X. dimorphum. 
Melanesia, Celebes. 
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3. L. dimorphum Copel. species nova. 
Valde dimorplniin; ramis nanis fere obsoletis; frondulae sterilis stipi- 
tula 1-1.5 cm longa, frondulae fertilis longiore: frondula sterile furcata, 
ramo inferiore fere ad basin furcate, segmentis 15-20 cm longis, 15-20 
mm latis, unilateral iter valde auriculatis, acuminatis, minute serrulatisj 
coriaceis, glabris, nitidis; frondula fertile furcata, ramis pinnatis vel 
rarius iterum furcatis, pinnis plerumque pinnatis interdum digitatis, 
pinnulis simplicibus vel furcatis rarius iterum furcatis, lamina sterile 
nulla; spicis 2-3 mm longis, sporis tuberculatis. 
No. IS//, in part, 147, 363 and 36^, all from Ambasi. 
This plant is a near relative of L. trifurcatum Baker, from which it is most ■ 
readily distinguished by the complete suppression of the sterile lamina on the 
fertile leaflets. I believe the first specimen sent me to be mixed with L. trifur- 
catum, although I can not identify the latter ^vith the plant or plants distributed 
under that name, collected in German Xew Guinea by Hahn. The group seems to 
me to contain several species; but the ease of collecting mixtures in this genus 
makes especially careful field work a prerequisite to reliable determination of any 
incomplete specimens. The type specimen of L. dimorphum, in my herbarium, 
Has sterile and fertile leaflets on the one rachis. King states that this fern is 
very common, but I do not know to which of the forms sent this applies. 
