772 FERNS OF NORTH QUEENSLAND, 



by the lafce Mr. Betche, in which he says, ''Poly podium rufescens 

 Bl., is given as a Queensland fern in Synops. Filic, and in Chris- 

 tensen's Index Fil., but Bentham writes (Fl. Austr., vii., p. 759), 

 'Some specimens of A. decompositum with small fronds and 

 broader, more membranous and less acute segments appear 

 almost identical with specimens of P. rufescens from Ceylon. 

 The supposed Australian specimens of tliat species are undoubt- 

 edly referable to A. decompositum.' " 



The specimens collected by me, I should certainly hesitate to 

 refer to D. decomposita, for there is no sign whatever of an indu- 

 sium, and the differences in other respects are noticeable. 

 Dryopteris C?) sp.nov. 



Specimens collected, I believe, in the Railway Cutting (Red- 

 Ivnch to Stoney Creek) have the base of the stipes castaneous 

 and clothed with very fine hairs. They belong probably to a 

 new species, but the material is not sufficiently complete for 

 definite decision. 



D. SETIGERA (Bl.) O. Ktze.; Polypodium pallidum Brack. 



Stoney Creek, etc.; July, 1913; also a small form in the bed of 

 the Barron River, above Kuranda. 



Subgen. Cyclosorus. 

 D. GONGYLODES (Schkhr.) O. Ktze; Nephrodium unitum R.Br. 



Var. PROPINQUA (R.Br.) Van A. van Rosenb.; Nephrodium. 

 propinquum R.Br. 



Among reeds on margin of Lake Barrine; August, 1913. 



Some confusion exists regarding this species and its variety 

 propinqiia. Bailey, in his " Fern- World of Australia," makes 

 Aspidium unitum "pubescent or glabrous." Beddome, in "Ferns 

 of Southern India," p.31, says, of JV. uiiitum, "glabrous above, 

 cano-tomentose beneath, especially on the costa and veins;" also, 

 "involucres small, reniform, at length glabrous." His PL 88 

 shows these characters. Of N. propinquum, Beddome says (p. 3 2 

 idem), " glabrous or often more or less pubescent, resino-glandu- 

 lose, especially beneath;" also, "involucres reniform, setose." 

 His PI. 89 shows the setose involucre, but the figure is quite dif- 

 ferent from the Aspidium unitum var. propinquum of Bailey's 



