Colenso. — Bush Jottings. 311 



novelty and size, and thinking it was new, sent me a speci- 

 men. It is a very striking fern, both from its large size and 

 its strange appearance, and its equally curious manner of 

 growth or disparity of form; and that not merely from its 

 great difference in the barren and the fertile fronds (as obtains 

 in other species of the Lomaria genus), but in its barren 

 fronds, for, while its large fronds are usually very broad and 

 coarsely pinnatifid, some of them are merely narrow, oblong, 

 and simple (in this diform respect not unlike large specimens 

 of Poly podium billardieri) . 



For my part, having given this fern much study, I am not 

 inclined to believe it to be identical with L. clongata, Blume 

 (a Javanese and Indian fern), as that species is largely drawn 

 and fully described by Beddome in his "Ferns of Southern 

 India." Sir W. J. Hooker, on my sending him specimens of 

 this New Zealand fern, and finding I had published it with a 

 description in the " Tasmanian Journal of Natural Science," 

 in 1814, as L. Iwtcropliylla, immediately republished it with 

 good drawings in his " Icones Plantarum," naming it L. 

 colcnsoi, there being already a L. hetcrophylla described at 

 Home, but unknown to me here in New Zealand. 



II. Peculiar and Pleasing. 



In this group I would place a few of our local ferns and 

 some other plants, but only such as are not commonly met 

 with, and, when found growing in undisturbed spots, serve to 

 entrance the beholder, rivet his attention, and fill him with 

 admiration — that is, if he possesses an eye to see, and a mind 

 to understand. I will begin with that newly-detected neat 

 little maidenhair, Adiantum polymorphum, Col.," which, since 

 I first made its acquaintance in 1887, I have found in three 

 different secluded spots in these umbrageous forests, and in 

 each place forming small continuous and closely-growing beds, 

 flourishing beautifully, and presenting a delightful appearance, 

 from their elegant form, graceful drooping habit, and uni- 

 formity of colour and of cutting, which is further increased on 

 gathering a specimen and noticing more closely its slender 

 glossy ebon stems. 



Two other species of this genus — A. Kispidulum, Sw., and 

 A. fulvum, Eaoul — I have also noticed in forests at the North 

 (Bay of Islands), possessing a similar habit, growing closely 

 in beds forming large patches, like this species ; but those 

 are much larger and coarser ferns, though fine specimens of 

 A. hispidulum are very handsome. 



Here I will briefly mention another newly-discovered and 

 very fine fern (some specimens are truly beautiful), Pteris 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xx., p. 215. 



