50 ALSOPHILA. 



brane beneath the sorus which entirely conceals it. (Tai;, 

 XVI 1 1. A.) A. cxcelsa, Br. Proclr. [note) p. 158. Endlicher, 

 Prodi: Fl. Norf. Isl. p. 16. Backhouse, Austral. Voy. plate 

 at p. 265, [group qt' trees tvith A. cxcelsa). 



Hal). Norfolk Island, Fcrd. Bauer, A. Cunningham, Backhouse. — Al- 

 tlu)Ug:li there may be more lofty species of Tree Ferns in the East Indies, 

 the present one is not undeserving^ the name of cxcelsa. This appella- 

 tion has been universally attributed to Mr. Brown, by whom the plant was 

 perhaps lirst noticed in print, and who referred it to the genus Alsophila ; 

 yet it appears to me that by the expression " necnon plures ineditse ab In- 

 dia utraque et una excelsa Insulae Norfolcitc," he merely intended a Infty 

 species of Norfolk Island ; there being already a Cyathea cxcelsa, and in- 

 deed an Alsophila excelsa of Martius (our A. Tamitis). Lieut. King* says 

 of this noble Fern, " It grows to the height of 80 feet, and the branches 

 (fronds) which resemble the palm-tree, fall off every year, leaving an in- 

 dentation on the trunk. The middle of the tree, from the root to the 

 apex, consists of a white substance resembling a yam, and when boiled it 

 tastes like a bad lurnep: this the hogs feed on greedily. It is found in 

 great plenty all over the island." Mr. Cunningham measured a trunk 

 which he felled in 1830, which was 57 feet in length without the fronds. 

 Mr. Backhouse measured the stems " 40 feet high, crovvned with magnifi- 

 cent circular crests of fronds." Endlicher's description of this noble Fern 

 is very full and accurate. 



43. A. australis, Br. ; glabrous, stipes aculeated ? fronds 

 bipinnate, pinnules (rather small 2 — 4 inches) linear-lanceo- 

 late acuminate deeply pinnatifid paler somewhat glaucous 

 beneath, segments ovate acute entire or slightly serrated, bul- 

 late scales none, sori from 1 — 4 occupying the lower part of 

 the segment, veins simple and forked, capsules mixed with a 

 few hairs. (Tab. XIX. A.) Br. Prodr. p. 158. Sieh. Syn. Fil. 

 01. 122. Fl. Mix't. n. 241. 



Hab. N. S. Wales. Port Jackson and Tasmania, R. Brown. Macquar- 

 rie Harbour, Tasmania, Backhouse. — Probably a rare species. The only 

 specimens I am so fortunate as to possess, are amongst Sieber's collections. 

 Mr. Backhouse, in his interesting Australian Voyage, speaking of Philip's 

 Island, Macquarvie Harbour, Tasmania, says, "We walked over the island 

 and along one of its sides, which was woody and which exhibited the finest 

 Tree Ferns we had yet seen, and in great profusion. They were of two 

 kinds, one of which we did not meet with elsewhere [Alsophila australis). 

 Some of the larger fronds or leaves were 13 feet long, making the diameter 

 of the crest 2t) feet. The stems w ere of all degrees of elevation up to 25 

 or 30 feel: some of them, at the lower part, were as stout as a man's body : 

 those of Cibotium Billardieri were covered with roots on the outside: the 

 whole length of those of the other species, Alsophila australis, were clothed 

 with the bases of old leaves, which were rough, like tlie stems of raspber- 

 ries, closely tiled over each other and pointing upwards." — In our dried 

 specimens the upper side of the frond is dark green, almost black, pale and 



* Sec Memoir of the late Allan Cunningham, Esq., by Mr. Heward, 

 Hooker's bond. Journ. of Botany, vol. i. p. 122 (note). 



