952 FILICES. [Alsophala. 
6. ALSOPHILA, R. Br. 
Usually tree-ferns, but in some species the trunk is short or 
absent. Fronds large, 2-3-pinnate, very similar to those of Cyathea 
or Hemitelia. Veins of the segments forked or pinnately divided. 
Sori dorsal, globose, situated upon a vein or at the fork of a vein ; 
receptacle more or less elevated, pilose. Indusium altogether 
wanting. Sporangia numerous, sessile or nearly so, often mixed 
with hairs, bursting transversely ; ring somewhat oblique, com- 
plete. 
Species about 120, mostly tropical, nearly half of them from America, the 
remainder scattered through tropical Asia, Malaya, and the Pacific islands, 
«with a few in Africa. The single New Zealand species is endemic. 
1. A. Golensoi, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 8, t. 73.—Caudex 
long, prostrate and rooting, seldom more than 6-8 in. in circumfer- 
ence, rarely erect or ascending at the tip and attaining a height 
of 3-5ft. Fronds 2-5 ft. long, 2-2 ft. broad, 2-3-pinnate, broadly 
covate-lanceolate, acute, membranous, yellowish-green or reddish- 
brown. Stipes short, densely covered at the base with pale subu- 
late scales lin. long, upper portion, together with the rhachis and 
custee, more or less thickly clothed with fulvous or reddish-brown 
hairs intermixed (especially on the under-surface) with pale tumia 
scales. Primary pinne 9-15in. long, 2-—34in. broad, oblong- 
lanceolate, acuminate ; secondary 14-2in. long, about 4in. broad, 
pinnatifid above, pinnate at the base. Segments oblong, obtuse, 
obtusely serrate; veins simple. Sori copious, situated on the 
middle of the veins.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 350; Hook. and Bak. Syn. 
Fil. 40; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 30; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 48, t. 3, f. 4. 
Norru Isutanp: Mountains of the interior, from Hikurangi and Mount 
Egmont southwards. Sourn Isranp: Not uncommon in hilly and subalpine 
forests throughout. Stewart Istanp: Mount Anglem, Kirk! Usually 
between 2000 and 4000 ft., but descends to low levels in the south of Otago. 
For some interesting remarks on the mode of growth of this species, see 
Mr. Field’s ‘‘New Zealand Ferns,’”’ quoted above; also a paper by the same 
author in the ‘‘ Journal of Botany ”’’ for 1878, p. 365. 
7. DICKSONIA, L’Herit. 
Usually tree-ferns, but in some species the caudex is short or 
absent. Fronds large, 2-3-pinnate. Stipes smooth or muriecate. 
Veins pinnately forked, veinlets always free. Sori near the mar- 
cin of the frond, globose, placed on the apex of a veinlet ; recep- 
tacle more or less elevated. Indusium distinctly 2-valved, the 
upper valve continuous with the margin of the frond and usually 
similar to it in texture, consisting of an incurved or concave lobule ; 
lower valve membranous or coriaceous. Sporangia numerous, 
sessile or nearly so, bursting transversely; ring oblique, com- 
plete. 
