746 SPECIES OF ALSOPHILA IN NEW SOUTH WALES, 



Sir "W". Hooker, as well as Mr. Benthain, has apparently reduced 

 to one species the different forms indigenous in New South 

 Wales. In the Species Filicum, Vol. I., A. australis, is the only 

 one described, whilst, in the Flora Australiensis Vol. 7, Mr. 

 Bentham remarks under his description of that species, "It is 

 possible that the study of living specimens in their native stations 

 may show characters for distinguishing more than one species, 

 but, as far as known, the differences in the trunks do not 

 correspond with the very indefinite differences in the fronds." 

 The fact is that our species are more easily recognised by the 

 nature of the caudex and the peculiarity of habit than by any 

 technical description of the fronds, especially when represented 

 by dried specimens only. Accurate observers, however, (such 

 for instance as the late Mrs. Calvert and Sir William Macarthur) 

 have uniformly given three species for New South Wales, and, 

 strange to say, that opinion is confirmed by the Aboriginal 

 natives, who, in the Southern parts of the Colony, speak of the 

 three by the names " Beeow-wang" " Yarrah-ivali" and " Denn- 

 nangue." And I may add, that, in Conservatories in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Sydney, three distinct forms may be seen as repre- 

 senting the Alsopliilas of the Colony. A. excelsa, is the most 

 robust of the species and of rapid growth, but it seems doubtful, 

 whether, in its typical character, it extends beyond Norfolk 

 Island, where it is said to have attained the height of 80 feet. 

 A. Loddigesii, (Kunge), which was established on some specimens 

 procured at Cape Byron by Mr. C. Moore, seems to be regarded 

 by Mr. Baker as a variety of A. australis, from which it differs 

 by its shorter, broader segments, and fewer veins. Without 

 reckoning these, I believe that A. australis (R. Br.), A. Leich- 

 hardtiana (F.v.M.), and A. Cooperi (Hook.), are good species. 

 The first is the most common, and occurs here and there from the 

 Coast to the Blue Mountains, rising on Mount Tomah to 40 or 

 50 feet. The fronds are, for the most part, pale or glaucous on 

 the under surface, and the rachis is rough or muricated. A. 



