140 FLORA OF TASMANIA. | Filices. 
pubescente v. pilosa, pinnulis anguste linearibus ultimis seepius longe caudatis decurrenti-coadunati-, costa 
crassa, rachibus stipiteque validis glabris—/7. N. Zeal. ii. 25 ; Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 197. P. esculenta, Forst. 
Prodr. 194; Plant. Esc. t. 145 Swartz, Syn. Fil. 101, 296; Lab. Fl. Nov. Holl. ii. p. 95. t. 244; Br. 
Prodr. 154. (Gunn, 5.) 
Has. Var. esculenta abundant throughout the Island.— (v. v.) 
Disrris. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Malay Islands, India, South America. 
One of the most common Tasmanian Ferns, of which the roots roasted were formerly an article of food 
with the natives. The same variety grows in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, and differs very 
slightly from the P. aguilina of the north temperate zone, which is found in one form or another in all parts of the 
world.— Rhizome subterranean, creeping, often as thick as two fingers. Stipes sometimes 10 feet high, grooved on 
one side, stout, pale-yellow, shining, glabrous. Frond 2-4 feet long, broadly deltoid, tri-quadripinnate, of a very 
hard, rigid, coriaceous texture, glossy above. Pinnules linear, decurrent, and united with one another by forming a 
wing to the rachis, often hairy below. Sori continuous, frequently surrounding the pinnules, and even continued 
along their decurrent bases to those of the pinnule below them.  Zmvolucres very coriaceous. Midrib very thick, 
often grooved and hairy. à 
3. Pteris tremula (Br. Prodr. 154); fronde elata glaberrima submembranacea bi-quadripinnata, 
pinnis primariis ascendentibus, pinnulis linearibus adnatis decurrentibus subacutis sterilibus rarius integer- 
rimis crenato-dentatis fertilibus plerumque integris, venis furcatis omnibus liberis, rachi stipiteque glaber- 
rimis.—77. N. Zeal. ìi. 25; Hook. Sp. Fil. ìi. 174. t. 120 B. (Gunn, 41, 1537, 1538.) 
Has. Common in shaded places, forests, etc.—(v. v.) 
Distris. New South Wales and Victoria, New Zealand, Chili, and Juan Fernandez. (Cultivated in 
England.) ; 
This is a very common Tasmanian plant, which so closely resembles P. arguta of the south of Europe, the 
Atlantic Islands, Abyssinia, Africa, and the East Indies, that I think it possible that it may prove to belong to 
that widely-diffused species. Extremely variable in size, from 1-5 feet, in consisteney from membranous to coria- 
ceous, in colour from pale light-green to olive-green, in amount of the division from bi- to quadri-pinnate, or almost 
decompound, and in breadth and length of the pinnules, which are quite entire or crenate. Its general characters 
are those of a perfectly glabrous, tripinnate frond, rather membranous, broadly deltoid, with ascending branches; 
the pinnules 1-2 inches long and 1 broad, linear, blunt, adnate, decurrent, crenate, with forked, free veins, and a 
glabrous, shining costa and rachis: specimens in which all the pinnules are soriferous have these much narrower, 
more coriaceous, with the involueres sometimes reaching to the costa. 
$ 3. LITOBROCHIA.— Feins more or less anastomosing. 
4. Pteris incisa (Thunb. Fl. Cap. 733) ; fronde glaberrima elata ampla bi-tripinnata subtus glau- 
cescente membranacea, pinnis primariis ovato-lanceolatis, secundariis lineari-lanceolatis acutis szepius sessi- 
libus rachive adnatis, piunulis late oblongis oblongo-lanceolatisve rarius lanceolatis obtusis integerrimis v. 
obtuse lobatis crenatis pinnatifidisve, venulis furcatis basi plerumque anastomosantibus, costa flexuosa, rachi 
stipitegue glaberrimis pallidis nitidis antice sulcatis.— Sw. Syn. Fil. 99; Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 230. P. Vesper. 
lionis, Lat. Fl. Nov. Holl. ii. p. 96. t. 245; Br. Prodr. 154; Fl. Autarct. i. 110; Fl. N. Zeal. ii. 276. 
P. Brunoniana, fud. Prodr. FI. Ins. Norf. P.montana, Colenso, in Tasm. Phil. Journ. (Gunn, 18, 1536.) 
Has. Common in damp woods, and ascending to 3000 feet.—(v.v.) (Cultivated in England.) 
i Drees Extratropical Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, temperate and tropical South 
merica. 
Fronds perfectly glabrous, tall (2—4 feet), ample, broadly deltoid, membranous, glaucous below, bi-tripinnate : 
