972 FILICES. [Pteris. 
brown, darker at the base. Fronds 1-3 ft. long or more, 6-24 in. 
broad, ovate or ovate-deltoid, acuminate, bright-green, herbaceous, 
quite glabrous, 2—4-pinnate; rhachis smooth, naked. Primary 
pinne 6-12 pairs, subopposite; the lowest 6-15 in. long, ovate- 
lanceolate or ovate-deltoid, usually bipinnate, sometimes tripinnate ; 
upper gradually becoming shorter and narrower and less compound ; 
the uppermost linear, pinnate or pinnatifid. Ultimate segments 
4-14 in. long, ;4,-4 in. broad, linear or linear-oblong, obtuse, sessile 
and decurrent at the base; fertile usually entire or slightly crenate 
at the tips; barren generally broader and with the margins crenate 
throughout; veins free, forked. Sori copious, usually continuous 
on both the upper and lower edges of the segments, rarely inter- 
rupted.— Hook. Sp. Fil. 11. 174, t. 1208; Hook. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 25; 
Handb. N.Z. Fl. 364; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 161; Benth. FI. 
Austral. vii. 731; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 60; Freld, N.Z. Ferns, 90, 
t. 28, 1.2. P. affinis, A. Rich. Fl. Now. Zel. 81; A. Cumn. Precur. 
n. 201; Raoul, Choiz, 38. P. tenuis, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 200. 
P. Kingiana, Endl. Prodr. Fl. Insl. Norfolk. 18. 
KpRMADEC Is~tANDS, NortH Is~anpD: Abundant, ascending to 2500 ft. 
Sourn Isnanp: In various localities in Nelson and Marlborough, but not 
common ; recorded from Banks Peninsula by Armstrong. 
Also in Australia and Tasmania, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, and 
Fiji. Very variable in the size and shape of the ultimate segments. P. Kingiana 
(var. Kingiana, Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 161) sometimes has them over if in. 
long and more than }in. broad; while in P. tenwis, A. Cunn., they are very 
narrow, the sori occupying the whole under-surface except the costa. 
4. P. comans, Forst. Prodr. n. 419.—Rhizome short, stout, sub- 
erect. Stipes 1-2 ft. long or more, erect, yellow-brown, polished, 
naked or clothed at the base with dark-brown scales. Fronds 1-4 ft. 
long, 4-3 {t. broad, broadly deltoid, acuminate, membranous, dark- 
screen, quite glabrous, 2-pinnate or rarely 3-pinnate at the base; 
rhachis smooth, polished. Lower pinne in large specimens nearly 
2ft. long by 1ft. broad and bipinnate, but usually from 9-18 in. 
and pinnate, shortly stalked; upper pinne gradually becoming 
shorter and narrower, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, regularly 
pinnatifid; terminal pinna 6—-9in. long, cut down almost to the 
rhachis. Ultimate segments variable in size and shape, 1-3 in. 
long, 1-4in. broad, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate to linear-oblong, 
acute or obtuse, straight or falcate, the fertile ones serrate at the 
tips or sinuate-serrate or sinuate-lobed, sinus between the segments. 
acute. Veins anastomosing copiously. Sori continuous, but not 
reaching the apex of the segments.—A. Rich. Fl. Nowv. Zel. 79; 
A. Gunn. Precur.n. 199; Raoul, Chow, 38; Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 219; 
Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 26; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 171; Benth. 
Fl. Austral. vii. 733; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 62; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 95, 
t. 24, f. 1. P. Endlicheriana, Aghard Sp. Pterid. 66; Hook. Ic. 
Plant. t. 973; Sp. Fil. ii. 218; Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 364. 
Litobrochia comans, Presl. Tent. Pteridogr. 66. 
