Colenso. — On the Ferns of New Zealand. 229 



bluntly sub-hastate with very obtuse rounded tips : (2) quadri- 

 lateral : (3) trapeziform : (4) ovate-acuminate with proliferous 

 tips, — their margins sharply toothed, the posterior lower base 

 excised, sometimes both ; midrib flexuous ; veins pinnate ; 

 veinlets simple and forked, vanishing at tips and not extending 

 to margins ; trinerved in the broadest pinna?. Sori numerous, 

 biserial, 3-6 pairs on a pinna, nearer costa than margin, oppo- 

 site, oblique, distinct not confluent, sometimes an additional 

 smaller sorus, or even 2, on auricle of larger pinna?. Involucre 

 pale, rather large, adpressed, sub-lunulate-linear, finely reticu- 

 lated (sub lente), margins entire but slightly sub -sinuate. 

 Capsules large brown shining, not numerous, scarcely appearing 

 from beneath open margin of involucre. 



Hab. Woods near the town of Waipawa ; 1882 : Mr. A. 

 Hamilton. 



Obs. A striking variety of a well-known and elegant New 

 Zealand fern ; peculiar in its branching and in its highly 

 abnormal and varied pinna? on the same frond ; and still further 

 differing from A. fiabellifoliuni in the disposition of its veins and 

 sori. 



Genus 20. Nephrodium, Br. 



§ EUNEPHKODIUM. 



1. N. mcequilaterum, sp.nov. 



Rhizome subterranean, long, creeping, flexuous, woody, sub- 

 angular-cylindrical, as thick as a common lead pencil, with 

 many rootlets, blackish. Vernation erect, uniserial, distant 

 1-H inches on rhizome. Stipes 6-7 inches long, rather stout, 

 sub-cylindrical, channelled above, (as, also, rhachis and sub- 

 rhaclhses,) straw-coloured, blackish at base, glabrous. Fronds, 

 5-8 (rarely 9-10) inches long, 3-6 inches broad at base, ovate 

 and sub-deltoid-ovate, acuminate, sub-membranaceous, green, 

 glabrous, somewhat glossy, with a few small broad inflated 

 brown scales scattered on rhachis and sub-rhachises ; pinnate, 

 pinnae few 8 - 12-jugate, opposite, free, not close, very distant 

 below on rhachis, 1-1^ inches apart, the lowest pair of pinna? 

 very little shorter than the pair above, petiolate, linear-lanceo- 

 late-acuminate, _ 2-3 inches long, 4-5 lines wide, tip acute, 

 spreading, straight, sometimes approximate, pinnatifid, one- 

 tbird_ cut to rhachis ; lobes small, regular, attenuated, sub- 

 deltoid, unequilateral, the lowest posterior basal lobe wanting as 

 if the pinna was excised ; tips falcate or curved with a small 

 niucro ; midrib flexuous ; margins entire, slightly cartilaginous, 

 white, recurved ; the terminal pinna 2 inches long, its lobes 

 larger than those of pinna?, tip very acuminate. Veins of lobes 

 conspicuous, translucent, reddish, pinnate, 6 - 7-jugate, curved 

 and extending to margin, besides the lowermost vein which 



