^^] Pitcher, Remarks on Ferns. g 



G. flabellata, Umbrella Fern, and G. Herman ni. Fan Fern. 

 Although the whole of these beautiful ferns are generally to 

 be found along or in the vicinity of watercourses, some are 

 thriving well in the open fern group on the Oak Lawn in the 

 Botanic Gardens. While they generally attain only a few feet 

 in height, the first-named species is sometimes found in upland 

 gullies and swamps, chmbing in tangled masses amongst 

 adjacent vegetation to twenty feet or more. G. Hermanni has 

 been recorded only from East Gippsland. 



The second genus, Todea, is represented by the well-known 

 species T. harbara. King Fern, which is widely distributed 

 throughout the States. This fern, which only grows under 

 natural conditions in the beds of watercourses, does not usually 

 exceed five feet in height. It is, however, sometimes very 

 broad and bulky in its stem-trunk, which, frequently possessing 

 numerous crowns, makes transit through the gulUes where it 

 abounds very difficult. In 1886 a very large specimen, 

 weighing approximately 4,000 lbs., was forwarded by the late 

 Baron von Mueller to the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in 

 London. 



The fourth tribe, Hymenophylleae, consists of small, delicate 

 plants with thinly membranous fronds and creeping rhizomes ; 

 spore-cases with transverse ring, sessile, or nearly so, on a round, 

 cup-shaped receptacle, deeply two-valved. 



This tribe contains only two genera, both of which are repre- 

 sented in Victoria — viz., Trichomanes and Hymenophyllum. 

 There are two species of the former — T. venositm. Bristle Fern, 

 and T. humile. Short Bristle Fern. These are deUcate and 

 beautiful little ferns, with fronds only a few inches long. 

 Frequently, in company with the Hymenophyllum ferns, they 

 clothe the trunks of ferns and other trees and old roots and rocks 

 in the densely-shaded fern guUies throughout Victoria and 

 elsewhere. Directly any lengthened, continuous sunlight is 

 allowed upon these epiphytes they wither and dry. They may 

 be distinguished from the Hymenophyllum ferns by their more 

 entire frondage. The genus Hymenophyllum has three native 

 species — H. flabellatmn, Shining Filmy Fern, synonymous with 

 H. nitens, recorded in the " Key to Victorian Plants," with 

 much divided fronds up to eight inches long ; H. Javaniciim, 

 Austral Filmy Fern, found also in Java, as the name implies ; 

 and H. Timbridgense, Tunbridge Filmy Fern, so named from 

 it being first observed at Tunbridge, in Kent. The fronds of 

 this last-named are seldom more than three to four inches long. 



The fifth tribe, Cyatheae, is specially interesting, as it contains 

 three genera, all of which are tree ferns, and having large fronds 

 with sori globular on their under surface, spore-cases small, 

 with more or less oblique ring. 



