CYATlIliA. 27 



lid, soli copious almost as broad as tlie nanow space between 

 the cosla and margin occui)}in}^ a lobe or tooth wbicli w hen 

 dry has the margins very rcvohite, involucres globose mem- 

 branaceous glossy soon breaking down into 3 or 1 irregular 

 lobes. — ScJikitJtr, Fil. f. 138, [(jaod). Poly]>o(lium medullare, 

 Forst. Sphieropteris medullaris, Bcrnlt. in Schrtid. Jauru. 

 1800, II, ;). 122, /.I. C. affinis, Sw. Si/u. Fil. p. 141, [not of 

 Sc/ikitlir, Fil. t. 132, l), and 131, </—//). Polyp, alhne, Fors/. 

 C. extensa. Sic. Schkttlir, Fil. t. 132, a — c, (good, as repre- 

 senting the barren state and the ciliated scales). Alsophila 

 extensa, Desv. — 13. intc(jr(i; segments nearly entire. — y. tri- 

 pinnata ; pinnules again pinnated except at the apex, pin- 

 nules quite entire. C. Mertensiana, Botujdrd, MS. in Herb. 

 Imp. Acad. Pelcrsh. el in Herb, nostr. Alsophila extensa, 

 Hook, el Am. in Bot. of Beech. Voy. p. 70. 



Hab. New Zealand (where it is called " Mamapu"), probalily confined 

 to the noitlieiTi island, Forster and others. Norfolk Island, Forstcr in Knd- 

 licher. Pacific Islands, Forstcr. New Guinea, Jhinlai/. Otaheite, Du- 

 perrcifs Voy. — ^. New Zealand, Colenso. — y. Boiiin, Dr. Merteus. Coral 

 islands, Capt. licechey. — This is probably a more extensively diffused spe- 

 cies than botanists aie generally aware, and by no means confined to New 

 Zealand, where however it forms a common article of food with the native;:. 

 ' Haec filicis species " says Forster, " in sylvis Novae Zelandije frequens est; 

 et apud incolas Mamagu dicitnr; hi radicem et caudicis inferioris mednllara 

 costam coniedunt; hujus enim substantia; mollis et pulposae sapor quan- 

 dam siniilinuliiieni cum rapte sapore liabet et qnidem hinc prreslal ila ut 

 ad mcdullaui Saguari arboris {sago) aceedat. In niedullari substantia hu- 

 jus Polypodii succus glutinosus rubescens abundat." Like other Cijathen- 

 cea-, the fronds are very variable in the form and margin of the segments. 

 The stipes and rachis are remarkable for the glandular, glossy, raised points, 

 resembling a resinous exudation dried and hardened the instant it had pier- 

 ced the epidermis. I quite think the Cyathea ajfinis and C. e-rtenxa, ga- 

 thered by Forstcr in the Pacific Isles, may be safely referred to this sjiecie^, 

 especially if, as I presume, the figures of Schkuhr which I have ([uoled 

 here, are to be relied on, and more particularly if the fruit may be trusted 

 as belonging to it : but l/iat, on account of the bifid rcce])tacle (a charac- 

 ter probably by no means confined to one species), Kaulfuss has quoted 

 under C. arborea. That fruit has the true cup of Cyathea. Mr. Brown, 

 however, refers C. e.rteusa to Alsophila, in which he is Ibllowed by Presl. 

 Bory, in the ' Botany of Belanger's Voyage,' gives C. f.vtensa as an inha- 

 bitant of high mountains of Java. 



39. C. dealbata^ Sw. ; unanned, frond bipinnate, rachis 

 everywhere clothed with ferruginous deciduous down, ])in- 

 nules narrow lanceolate acinninate dee})ly ])innati(id very 

 glaucous beneath, sometimes again pinnate at the base, seg- 

 ments oblong acute falcate serrated, sori copious situated half 

 way between the costa and margin, involucres globose mem- 

 branaceous fragile soon breaking down in a very irregidar 



