232 Transactions. — Botany. 



upper part of pinnae on the anterior veinlets, nearer margin than 

 costa, always more in the upper row, usually 7-5 (5-3, and so 

 on), the uppermost pinnae with sori in one row only; capsules 

 small, dark-coloured, on very long pedicels. Involucres of 

 various shapes — reniform, lunate, and hippocrepiform, per- 

 sistent, very membranaceous, whitish, finely reticulated with 

 dark veins, transparent, glossy, margins entire and sinuate, 

 opening towards apex of pinna, except 2 (sometimes 3) basal 

 ones in the upper row which open towards lateral margin. The 

 compound scales or flattened hairs on the rhachis are very 

 peculiar, brown, sub-ovate and largely fimbriate at base, with 

 long curly white tips, their basal fimbria also very curly. 



Hab. Banks of a hot stream at Tapuaeharuru, near Taupo 

 township ; and in the neighbourhood of hot springs at Wairakei, 

 near the Kiver Waikato, west bank ; both places in the County 

 of East Taupo ; 1887 : Mr. C. J. Norton. [My first specimens 

 I received from the interior (exact locality unknown), in 1861 : 

 W.C.] 



Obs. I. I have known this fern for several years (26), but 

 only from imperfect specimens, yet I ever doubted it being N. 

 tuberosa, Presl. Lately, however, I have received a quantity of 

 good specimens from Mr. Norton, and now, after a prolonged 

 and close examination, aided by the works of our first pteridolo- 

 gists, I feel assured that it is a different species from N. tube- 

 rosa, Presl., as that fern is described and figured by them. 



II. The latest critical authority on Indian ferns known 

 to me is Mr. G. B. Clarke (" Trans. Linn. Soc, 2nd series, 

 Botany," vol. i.), who both describes N. tuberosa, Presl., (I.e., p. 

 540,) and refers to Beddome's figures of it (" Ferns of Southern 

 India," tab. xcii.) ; the fern there figured and dissected is utterly 

 unlike this one described by me, — in outline, in size and shape 

 and cutting of pinnae, in midrib and venation, and in sori. J. 

 Smith ("Ferns Brit, and For.," p. 164,) refers to "Lowe's 

 Ferns," vol. vii., tab. 25, for N. tuberosa, Presl. ; that figure 

 too, is very far from this fern. I cannot reconcile Bentham's 

 description of Aspidium (Nephrolepis) cordifolium = N. tuberosa 

 of authors, ("Flora Austral.," vol. vii., p. 754,) with this New 

 Zealand fern ; neither does it agree with Swartz's brief descrip- 

 tion of Aspidium cordifolium, with which fern Bentham has 

 united it. In Sir W. J. Hooker's carefully detailed specific 

 description of N, tuberosa, Presl., (" Sp. Fil." vol. iv., p. 151,) 

 I find grave differences of character, distinguishing it from this 

 fern. Of that fern he says : "fronds glabrous, pinnae cr mated, 

 auricle acute," [as also shown in Beddome's figures,] " sori 

 equidistant, opening towards apex of pinna, involucre reniform 

 nearly half-moon-sh&iped., firm, coriaceous, base black," etc. And 

 Baker (" Syn. Fil.," p. 300,) says of A', cordifolia, Presl.: 



