CoLENso. — 0)1 so7ne new and undescnbed Neiv Zealand Ferns. 383 



shorter aud texture a little thinner ; pinna; linear-ohlong, broader, 3-4 lines 

 broad, obtuse ; terminal segment somewhat shorter and broader, 4-6 lines 

 broad. 



Some semi-Larren fronds present a peculiar appearance ; a few pimife 

 having single rows of scattered sori, in very small linear and semi-lunate 

 dots, each scarely one line long, which are again sometimes biserial and 

 distant on the terminal segment, and on a few of the larger pinnae. If these 

 pecuhar fronds were not found growing from the same root or caudex with 

 the larger and fertile ones, they would be set down as forming a different 

 species or variety. 



Six species of Doodia are very fully described by Sir W. J. Hooker in 

 his Species Filicmn, including those known to him from New Zealand ; I 

 possess botanical drawings with dissections of them all, with none of which 

 as well as with theii* descriptions) does this plant agree. To om* New 

 Zealand " D. caudata,'" of which, though possessing copious specimens from 

 several botanists. Sir W. J. Hooker says, "All these from New Zealand 

 border too closely upon D. media {Sp. Fil., Vol. HI., p. 76) ; it approaches 

 in its long terminal segment and narrow (fertile) pinnae ; but that Aus- 

 trahan species, though a very much smaller plant, is said to be "pinnate 

 nearly to the summit," with the "sori in a single series," its " indusia 

 sub-lunate, stipes naked at base," and "its rachis quite smooth," etc. It also 

 has pretty close affinity with D. media, but differs still more from this 

 common New Zealand species. In its regular double lines of closely- 

 compacted sori, and in their great excess, extending both upwards and 

 downwards on the auricles and wings of its broadly-adnate pinnse (as it were 

 sursum currens and decurrens), which give a kind of winged appearance to 

 the rhachis, though still truly pinnate, every pinna being separate, and also 

 in its black paleaceous stipes and scales, it seems te have affinity with D. 

 dives, a Ceylon species, especially with the variety /3 zeylanicum., Hook., of 

 that species, of which Sir W. J. Hooker says, — " The wings of the rachis 

 bear sori as well as the segments and pinnse " {I.e., p. 74), but the invo- 

 lucres in the Ceylon plant are all lunulate and broader, and the pinn^ and 

 venation different. (A fine free drawing, with dissections of this plant, is 

 given in Beddome's Ferns of S. India, p. 222, all showing its very great dis- 

 tinctness from the Napier plant.) It seems also to be equally distinct fi'om 

 five newer and additional Polynesian "varieties," briefly described by 

 Baker in his Synojms Filicnm (appendix, p. 482), nearly all of which have 

 their sori uni-serial. 



I have given, I may say, some amount of extra examination at various 

 times extending throughout many years, to this plant, having it here grow- 

 ing around me — as may be inferred from my full description of it ; and 



