AEBOBESCENT FEENS 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 horizontalli/-^\a,Ged 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- 

 hamii and C. Smithii. I have found considerable difficulty in 

 making out these two species even when accompanied with plates 

 and descriptions. 



C. Cunninghamii, 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. Smithii, 

 and appear from 20 to 30 in a crown. E-achis 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 

 pinnae ; 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. 



G. 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^mwa- 

 less fronds, or rather raches, hanging from the upper part. Fronds 

 lanceolate, bipinnate, bright shining green, 8-9 feet long, and very 



