Kirk. — On a remarhahle Arborescent Fern. 347 



Ifc is especially to be remarked that arborescent specimens of D. lanata 

 become rare as the plant recedes from the north, until at Taupo, as was long 

 since pointed out by Colenso (the discoverer of both species in the colony) it 

 covers the ground like Pteris, At Whangarei, Kaipara, and other localities 

 north of the Auckland Isthmus, stemless specimens are extremely rare, — 

 arborescent specimens are abundant. D. lanata is also far more local within 

 its area than D. antarctica. 



D. lanata is endemic in these islands, while D. antarctica is found in East 

 Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. 



Colenso states that the Maoris of the interior formerly used boards cut 

 from the fibrous part of the stem of D. antarctica in the construction of their 

 provision stores, the tough wiry fibres affording almost complete immunity 

 from the attacks of rats. 



Art. XLIY. — Notice of a remarhahle Arborescent Fern on NgongotaJia, 



By T. Kirk, F.L.S. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, \4ih October, 1872.] 



At the height of about 1,400 feet on Ngongotaha, a wooded peak on the 

 south-west side of Rotorua, I met with a remarkable specimen of Cyathea 

 dealbata, Swartz, the silver tree-fern of the settlers. 



The specimen is between nine and ten feet in height, with the trunk some- 

 what inclined ; at about eight feet from the ground it divides into two 

 branches, each under eighteen inches in length ; one of these is again divided, 

 but the branches have not diverged, and are growing in such close contact as 

 to resemble at first sight rather a single branch with a double crown, than 

 two distinct branches. All the branches are crowned with fronds. 



The trunk presents no marked feature, but the branches are much 

 thickened and swollen, partly from being covered with a dense coat of 

 hardened paleaceous scales ; amongst these scales lateral crowns have become 

 developed and given off fronds, varying in number from three to five on each 

 crown, and from six to fifteen inches in length. 



This singular specimen had evidently been recently scorched by fire, which 

 had destroyed a portion of the old fronds ; new fronds were developing in the 

 greatest health and vigour. 



From the condition of the branches, I am led to infer that they owe their 

 origin to a division of the growing point arising from the attacks of insects, 

 and that a continuance of the same cause has led to a development of the 

 lateral crowns. This might possibly have been proved or disproved by a 



