Lomaria.| FILICES. 979 
numerous, tufted, forming a crown at the top of the rhizome; 
sterile 1-24 ft. long, 14-4 in. broad, lanceolate, acute or acuminate, 
usually broadest above the middle, very gradually narrowed to the 
base, dark-green, fleshy or almost coriaceous, pinnatifid above, 
pinnate below. Pinnz numerous, close-set, often overlapping, the 
largest 3-24 in. long, +-4 in. broad, variable in shape, linear-oblong 
to lanceolate, obtuse or acute, often falcate, attached by a broad 
base, the upper narrower and more acute, lowermost dwarfed to 
rounded auricles; margins entire, slightly thickened. Veins free, 
forked. Fertile fronds shorter and narrower than the sterile, 
1-24 in. broad; pinne numerous, close, linear-oblong, rigid, obtuse. 
Sori very copious, covering the whole under-surface.—Hook. /f. 
Handb. N.Z. Fil. 748; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 177; Thoms. 
N.Z. Ferns, 66; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 104, t. 10, f. 4, 4a. L. rigida, 
J. Sm. Ferns, Brit. and For. 290. 
SourH Istanp: Banks Peninsula, Armstrong. Hastern and southern 
coasts of Otago, not uncommon, Petrie! Thomson, Kirk! West Coast sounds, 
J.D. Enys! Stewart Isnanp AND THE Snares: Kirk! CHATHAM ISLANDS: 
Abundant, Chudleigh! Buchanan! Miss Seddon! AvCKLAND AND CAMPBELL 
IsLANnDs, ANTIPODES IsLAND: Kirk ! 
A purely littoral plant, never found far from the influence of sea-spray. 
Easily recognised by the fleshy or coriaceous habit, the usually obtuse and 
entire sterile pinne, and by the close-set broad and rigid fertile pinne. 
7. L. Banksii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 31, t. 76.—Rhizome 
short, stout, woody, erect or inclined, clothed with the old stipites 
at the top, and with matted fibres below. Stipes short, stout, 
dark-coloured, furnished at the base with numerous ovate-lanceo- 
late chaffy scales. Fronds numerous; sterile 4—-12in. high, rarely 
more, 4-1 in. broad, linear-lanceolate, narrowed to both ends, rather 
coriaceous, dark-green, sometimes with a glaucous tinge, pinnatifid 
above, pinnate below. Pinne numerous, close-set, adnate by a 
broad base, 4-4in. long, rarely more, about +in. broad, broadly 
oblong or almost semi-orbicular, obtuse, quite entire ; lower pinne 
much reduced, sometimes forming a sinuated wing down to the base 
of thestipes. Fertile fronds usually shorter than the sterile, pinnate 
‘throughout ; pinne shorter and narrower, more distant, straight or 
curved. Sori copious, covering the whole under-surface.—Handab. 
N.Z. Fl. 368; Hook. Sp. Fil. ui. 17; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 
173; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 61; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 105, t. 26, f. 2, 
24. Blechnum Banksii, Mettenius. 
Norts Istanp: Auckland — North Cape, Buchanan; near Ahipara, 
T. F. C.; Bay of Islands, A. Cunningham; Little Barrier Island, Kirk ! 
T. #. C.; Manukau Heads, Sinclair, Colonel Haultain! Hast Cape, Colenso ! 
Taranaki—White Cliffs to Cape Egmont, Buchanan, . F. C. Wellington— 
Wellington Heads, Field; Cape Terawiti, Kirk! SourH Istanp: Marl- 
borough—Queen Charlotte Sound, Banks and Solander. Nelson—Cape Fare- 
well, Kirk! West Wanganui, Kingsley. Canterbury — Banks Peninsula, 
