2 ELORA Or NEW ZEALAND. [Filices. 



new species; and in verv many other cases better known Perns, on being fonncl for the first time in New 

 Zealand, have been described as new, though well known and long described as inhabitants of Europe and 

 many intermediate countries. It need hardly be observed, that a little of that general knowledge of the 

 Natural Order which every one ought to possess, who essays describing its species, would prevent such 

 errors; as would the consultation of a general herbarium, previous to which no one should attempt 

 publication in systematic botany. 



Of the 117 species comprised in this Flora, only forty-two are peculiar to New Zealand, so tar as my 

 materials enable me to judge; but when it is considered how little is known of the Ferns of the islands of 

 New Hebrides and New Caledonia, it is not to be doubted but that some of those now considered peculiar 

 will be found there : in support of which I would remark, that several of the New Zealand species which are 

 not known to be natives of Australia or America have been found on the lofty mountains of Java, and 

 others a-ain in South Africa. Thirty of the New Zealand Ferns also inhabit South America, and sixty-one, 

 or more than one-half, Australia and Tasmania; almost all the Ferns of the latter countries being natives 

 of New Zealand. Twenty-five species are common to the three south temperate masses of land, Australia 

 (including Tasmania), New Zealand, and South America; and upwards of thirty inhabit so many widely 

 distant parts of the world that they may be termed cosmopolitan or mundane. Ten are European -a small 

 proportion -but this arises from Europe, in common with the whole north temperate zone north ot lati- 

 tude 30° Ling very poor indeed in Ferns, as compared with the tropical regions and south temperate zone; 

 so that though these ten form so small a proportion of the New Zealand Filices, they include a very con- 

 siderable part of the European ones. 



With regard to the classification of Ferns, in no branch of Botany have more arbitrary characters 

 been used for systematic purposes, and in none have natural characters been more overlooked. Since the 

 time when the form of the sorus was employed for the purpose of classification, the genera have undergone 

 two more or less general arrangements, founded on characters presented by organs whose importance is 

 very differently estimated by botanists. For many years the only means adopted for grouping and limiting 

 the genera was the presence or absence, form and insertion, of the involucre (or indusium); more lately, the 

 disposition and ramification of the veins has been advocated as of paramount importance; and we are now 

 threatened with a third fundamental change, founded on the habit, mode of increase, and development of 

 the caudex or rhizome. It appears to me that all these organs afford characters of the greatest value, but 

 that an arrangement founded on the consideration of one only can by no means be regarded as sound. No 

 .ingle character, or modification of a single organ, affords a clavis to the natural system of Ferns ; by no one 

 done can the genera be naturally limited or naturally grouped. The tribes are no doubt best characterized 

 by the structure of the capsules, by the position and perfection of the ring that partially or wholly surrounds 

 them and by the form of the spores, but these organs are of little or no further avail. With regard to 

 the genera it appears to me that the indusium, the venation, and the position and form of the son, must all 

 be taken into consideration, and that no one of these organs is to be considered as of much higher import- 

 ance than the others, and none by itself of so great importance as any combination of the others ; and that 

 one character should never constitute a genus, except when accompanied by some very marked habit 

 The rhizome I consider in most cases to afford characters of specific importance only, because throughout 

 the whole Natural Order it is found to differ much in species that are closely allied in every other respect. 

 In one point of view the rhizome is a character of greater value than any other, for it never varies m a 

 species whereas there are many normally indusiate Ferns in which the indusium is not developed, others 

 in which the indusium presents the characters of several genera on one frond ; while m not a few cases the 

 exclusive use of the venation has given rise to several genera being established on one species. It is 



