396 THE FERNS OF LORD HOWE ISLAND, 



On the North Head I collected Adumtum cethiopicum L., 

 the only place on the Island where it is said to grow. Here 

 also, I fovmd my only specimens of I' tend mm aquilinum (L.) 

 Kuhn. 



The south end of the Island, where Mounts Lidgbird and 

 Gower lift their heads to a height of nearly 3,000 feet, yields 

 by far the richest flora, and several of the ferns growing here 

 are quite unique. 



On the way south, in Robins' swamp, I collected Dryop- 

 teris parasitica (L.)0. Ktze., {Aspidiam mollt Sw.), here only 

 in the whole of my rambles. But the real fern-wealth of 

 the Island begins after one reaches the residences of the 

 Johnsons and the j.vings. 



On the track through Johnson's garden, I found Ophio- 

 glossum vulyatuiii L., not previously recorded for the Island. 

 Farther on, growing in profusion, were, besides some of the 

 species already mentioned, i'trna trniniJa R.Br., and Hypu- 

 (epis fcnuifolia Forst. 



Some distance up a creek ("run" is the local word), to the 

 left, after emerging from the garden, in the company of two 

 lads — Harold Nichol and Charlie Retmock — I found magnifi- 

 cent specimens of Marattia fraxinea Sm., var. salicina 

 (Sm.). This line fern is known to the Islanders as the Horse- 

 Shoe Fern, on account of the striking likeness of the base of 

 the fronds, when broken off, to the frog of a horse's foot. 

 This fern, i( is difficult to separate from M . fraxinexi, but the 

 fact that the sori are much larger and fewer than in typical 

 specimens, and stand further back from the margin of the 

 pinnules, must surely justify its position as a variety. This 

 variety is foiind elsewhere in the Pacific, and was set up 

 by Smith as M . srdictna. Under the guidance of Mr. Fenton, 

 I found this fern also in a "run" on the north-eastern side 

 of Mt. Lidgbird. 



On the volcanic slopes of the ridge between Intermediate 

 Hill and Mt . Lidgbird, and at other places subsequently, I 

 collected Ihc beautiful A^plciiium inchoiorlilamys Hook., a 



