BY W. WALTER WATTS. 401 



PoLYSTiCHUM KiNGii Watts, sp.iiov. [P. aculeatum var. 



Moo If I Chr.). 



Rhizome very short, its apex densely matted with linear- 

 lanceolate, tilmy scales up to one inch or more in length, 

 terminating in a long flexuose hair-point, shaded from light 

 brown to chestnut-brown; fronds from 3 to 12 inches 

 in length, and from 2 to 4^ inches in width, the upper 

 surface of a light green, the lower surface paler ; pin- 

 ns equal, horizontal, the lower ones mostly decurved, 

 h to 2| inches in length, subdeltoid, obtuse, subdivided 

 into shortly petiolate, obtusely deltoid, crenate pinnules, 

 the upper part becoming gradually less divided, and 

 terminating in a deltoid crenate apex ; pinnules tending to 

 a similar subdivision ; texture coriaceous ; veins indistinct, 

 not visible on the upper surface, and giving to the lower a 

 substriate appearance, fairly numerous, divergent and 

 forked ; rhachis straw-coloured to brown, the base imbedded 

 in and covered w^ith the richly-coloured scales of the rhizome, 

 scaly throughout, for the most part very slightly, curved or 

 flexuose ; sori close-set on the pinnules, medial ; indusium 

 firm, dark-brown, adherent, of a dense consistency, the edge 

 recurved. 



On rocks, eastern side of Mt. Lidgbird, 1895( ?), and in 

 cave, Mt. Lidgbird, Aug., 1911 (E. King); among rocks at 

 mouth of Soldier's Creek, 1898 (J. H. Maiden). 



I'. Moorei is distinguished as follows: — Scales not clus- 

 tered as in I'. Kiiiyii, lai-ger, and, for the most part, less 

 filmy and darker in colour : rhachis very scaly throughout, 

 even in the piniise ("very shaggy," Bentham) ; indusium lar- 

 ger, more filmy, with erect or upturned, somewhat crinkled 

 edge; sori more extended, practically covering the whole of 

 the under-surface of the frond, making it "heavy," the in- 

 dusium falling away readily, even where fronds have been 

 gathered when the sori were immature ; veins distinctly visible 

 on the upper surface; fronds up to 12 inches wide; pinnae 



