Plate 248.— LYGODIUM ARTICULATUM. 



Family FILICES.] [Genus LYGODIUM, Swartz. 



Lygodium articulatum, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 96, t. 15 ; Hook. /. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii, 47 • Cheeiem 

 Man. N.Z. Fl. 1023. 



The genus Lygodium can be distin.ouished from all others by the tall 

 climbing stems otten many feet in length, which wind round trees or shrubs, 

 forming almost impenetrable touuh and wiry screens. Between twenty and 

 twenty-hve species are known, of which the North American L. palmatum, the 

 Japanese L. japonicum, and the New Zealand L. articulatum are the only 

 ones which penetrate into temperate regions, the remaining species being 

 strictly tiopical. 



As might be expected from its great abundance in the northern portion 

 of the North Island, Lygodium articulatum was one of the plants collected 

 during Cook's first voyage to New Zealand. In November, 1769, Banks and 

 Solander gathered it at Mercury Bay, where they found it " volubilis circa 

 ramos arborum in sylvis umbrosis." It was fully described (but not figured) 

 in Solander's manuscripts, and was placed by him in the genus Ophioglossuiu. 

 It was not met with again until 1827, w^hen D'Urville, of the French"^ explor- 

 ing-vessel " LAstrolabe," obtained it in some locality in the North Island. 

 After D'Urville's return to Europe it was published by A. Richard under the 

 name it still bears From that time onwards it was noticed bv every botanist 

 who examined the vegetation of the northern half of the North Island, and 

 it is now known to be abundant in forest districts from the North Cape to 

 the Bay of Plenty on the east coast, and to Kawhia on the west. Its distri- 

 bution, in fact, is very similar to that of the kauri {Agathis avstralis), with 

 which it is often associated. 



The tough twining stems of Lygodium articulatum were formerly twisted 

 into ropes by the Maoris, and used for securing the thatch on the' roofs of 

 their houses. They were also ingeniously woven into eel-traps called hinaki, 

 great numbers of which \vere formerly made, although at the present time 

 they have become comparatively rare. 



Plate 248. Lyqodium arliculalAim, drawn from .specimens collected by Mis.s Shakcspear on the 

 Little Barrier Island. Fig. 1, base of a sterile pinnule; 2, portion of fertile pinnule: 3 and 4, two 

 views of a portion of a fertile spikelet, showing two rows of sporangia, each enclosed in its indusium ; 

 5, two sporangia ; 6, spores. (All enlarged.) 



