Gilbert: Two new Polypodia from New Zealand 317 



f 



I 



apices often twisted : stipules slender, close together but hardly 

 clustered, 'i/ to 



in. long, greenish or greenish-brown, naked, 

 slightly margined at base: mature fronds i^ to 2^ in. long, ^ 

 to I in, wide, pinnate with a yellowish pellucid callosity in the 

 sinus between pinnae : color bright green on upper side, paler 

 beneath, rachis green with a few minute scattered scales as in P, 

 Plumula : largest pinnae i^ in. long, strictly alternate, 8 to 9 pairs 

 with a similar terminal pinna that is slightly pinnatifid below lower 

 pinnae not reduced, each pinna expanded at base on both sides 

 and adherent: veins free, only once forked semi-pellucid, clavate, 

 within the margin : sori in two rows, 4 to 6 on each side of costa 

 and extending on to terminal pinna, chiefly on upper half of frond, 

 large, borne at extremity of anterior branch of veins midway be- 

 tween costa and margin, but filling the entire width of pinna, papillose 

 on upper side of frond : texture firm, subcoriaceous. ' 



This beautiful little fern is intermediate between P. pellucidiun 



It differs from its two allies in its smaller size, 



and P. vulgarc, 



in having the veins only once forked like those of a CyatJica, in 



F 



the fine black wavy costae, in the slender green stipes and rachis 



and in the metallic green color of its fronds. 



years since it was gathered, it retains its greenness as brilliant as 



Although it is 25 



ever. 



Polypodium vulgare auritum var. nov 



General features and v^enation same as in species : texture very 

 thick and opaque, but veins raised enough to show venation : cut 

 down close to rachis and lowest pair of pinnae fully separated : 

 texture so thick that surface is corrugated and pitted on upper 

 side, especially the ends of veinlets : edges of pinnae wavy : stipites 

 very thick and stout but stramineous as in typical P, vidgarel 

 lowest pair of pinnae generally auricled at base on lower side only, 

 the auricle being sometimes one-third the length of pinna. These 

 auricles are not always present even on fronds from the same root- 

 stock, but they seem to be the rule and give a definite character 

 to the variety. Our eastern P, vulgare stands midw^ay between' 

 this and the thin sharp pointed form that grows 111 Japan and Is 

 'known as var. Japonicnin. 



