THE PTERIDOPHYTA OF THE JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLANDS II 



unite them into one species. Specimens from Chile are scared)- to be distin- 

 guished from others from New Zealand, often having distant pinnae, the 

 ones being much abbreviated. All specimens from Juan Fernandez, the type 

 locality, have closer segments and an ovate lanceolate lamina, with the lower 

 pinnae not or very slightly shortened. //. aeruginosum (Thouars) Carm. from 

 Tristan d'Acunha is another near relative, but much smaller than either (see 

 Ilemsl. Chall. Rep. Hot. I. 2, tab. 38). A fourth related form grows in the caves 

 of Amsterdam Island in the Southern Indian Ocean. It was, we believe without 

 sufficient reason, referred to II. obtusuiu I look, et Arn. by HEMSLEY (I.e. 271), 

 a Hawaiian species; more properly it might be reduced to //. aeruginosum as 

 a variety. 



It is an interesting fact that four so closely related forms are scattered 

 in remote localities over such a large area of the Southern Hemisphere. They 

 are, we should guess, daughter forms of a single species that in old times 

 was widely dispersed over the Antarctic continent. It must not be forgotten, 

 however, that some of the forms may be derivates of the common tropical //. 

 cilia turn. 



Area of distribution: South Chile, Valdivia to Fuegia; Juan Fernandez. 

 Xew Zealand. 



*lO. H. falklandicum Baker, Syn. fil. 68 (1867); C. Chr. Arkiv for Bot. 



10: 25 f. 3 (1910). 



Fig- 4 g— h. 



A new addition to the flora, growing both in the moss carpets of the 

 forest floor and on trees, as well as in the alpine heath. (Fertile Feb. — March.) 



Masafuera: 0. del Mono, in forest, 570 m (no. 389); Q. del Blindado, in 

 forest, 440 m (no. 398); 0- de las Casas, far into the canyon, with Hepatics, 

 c. 200 m (no. 474); alpine heath near the Correspondencia Camp and at Las 

 Torres, 1 100 — 1370 ni (nos. 1142, 1176). 



Widely distributed through Subantarctic America and very likely not dif- 

 ferent from H. Menziesii Pr. Hym. 51 from Staaten Island. Still Presl de- 

 scribed his species as having obovate, subglobose, pedicellate sori, while H. 

 falklandicum has ovate-lanceolate valves of the indusium. 



The specimens from Masafuera are, as could be expected, larger than 

 those from the heaths of Fuegia and the Falkland Islands and also of a more 

 vivid colour, but in essential characters they do not differ. The largest fronds 

 measure nearly 10 cm in length and are of the narrow lanceolate shape shown 

 in fig. 3 a — b quoted above. The distinctly unilateral pinnae bear from 1 to 

 4 toothed segments on the upper side. The sori are single, or, in larger fronds 

 2 to each pinna, distinctly stipitate, with ovate-lanceolate, obtuse and quite 

 entire valves, which turn blackish brown with age. By its narrow lanceolate 

 fronds and especially by the long dark brown valves very different from all 

 forms of H. peltatum. 



A specimen of the 1908 collection from Masafuera was 1. c. referred to 

 H. peltatum. This is incorrect; probably the bad specimen should be referred 

 to the next species rather than to H. falklandicum. 



