AUSTRALIAN FERNS. 67 



ject, would be disposed to do. Nephrolepis (from nephros, a kid- 

 ney, and lepis, a scale, in allusion to the scale-like kidney-shaped 

 indusium), is a genus separated from Nephrodium, from which it 

 differs principally in habit, creeping caudex, and articulated 

 pinnae, although it must be confessed that these characters are by 

 no means uniform. -ZV. tuberosa was collected near the Brisbane 

 Eiver by Dr. F. Mueller, and near the Teviot by Frazer, and it 

 is remarkable for its large oval scaly tubers, as well as its 

 elongated and pendulous fronds in the variety N. pendula. N. 

 exoltata is thought by some authors to be closely allied to the pre- 

 ceding, and it is one of the genus frequently cultivated. It is 

 found principally in tropical Australia, and is common in many 

 parts of the East and West Indies. N. obliterate is a very inter- 

 esting species, " climbing on trees and adhering to them like 

 ivy," and it derives its specific name from the fugitive character 

 of its indusium. The caudex is very long and filiform, with 

 fronds from three to fourteen inches long, and pinnated. This 

 species was found originally in Australia by Sir Joseph Banks, 

 and subsequently by Cunningham and Dr. Mueller. Sir William 

 Macarthur, when collecting specimens for the Exhibition, ob- 

 tained some plants of it in the Illawarra district, and I have seen 

 specimens of the same species from the Richmond Eiver and also 

 from the Bulli Mountain, the latter of which were collected by 

 Miss Scott. This is regarded as a well marked species, " which 

 though varying in the size and somewhat in the form of the pin- 

 nules, is yet easily recognised." In the long creeping caudex 

 and scattered stipites, it is peculiar in the genus, and the pinnae 

 are not distinctly articulated. N. acuta was found by Cunning- 

 ham in tropical Australia, and it seems to be a species widely dis- 

 tributed throughout the warmer parts of the world. In this re- 

 view, it will be seen that several of the species now referred to 

 Nephrolepis, were formerly regarded as species of Neplirodium ; 

 and indeed if we consider the articulation of the stipites with the 

 rhizoma as the principal mark of distinction between the two 

 genera, there may be some ground for uniting them again. The 

 fact is that the separation arises more from the general opinion 

 of botanists, than from any well marked technical characters ; 

 and Hooker seems to retain the genus more in deference to the 

 majority of fern authors than from any well-grounded conviction 



