﻿480 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  ^Botany, 
  

  

  from 
  pinna 
  to 
  pinna 
  tlie 
  whole 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  stipe 
  and 
  racliis, 
  each 
  mark 
  or 
  

   clash, 
  6-8 
  lines 
  long, 
  having 
  an 
  interval 
  or 
  hreak 
  of 
  1-2 
  lines 
  ; 
  densely 
  

   covered 
  Vi^ith 
  long 
  brown 
  shining 
  linear 
  scales 
  l^-- 
  2 
  inches 
  long 
  and 
  nearly 
  

  

  1 
  line 
  wide 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  curved 
  transparent 
  acuminate 
  and 
  pointed, 
  

   beautifully 
  and 
  regularly 
  marked, 
  with 
  finely 
  serrulate 
  edges, 
  and 
  having 
  

   beneath 
  them 
  a 
  thick 
  rough 
  plush-like 
  undergrowth 
  of 
  blackish-brown 
  

   shining 
  finely 
  barbed 
  or 
  jagged 
  hairs. 
  

  

  Rachis 
  and 
  suhraclus 
  muricate, 
  also 
  densely 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  thick 
  coating 
  

   of 
  short 
  dark 
  plush-like 
  hairs, 
  which 
  easily 
  rub 
  off; 
  above, 
  together 
  with 
  

   the 
  cost(B 
  and 
  costules 
  densely 
  hirsute 
  (dark) 
  and 
  woolly 
  (light-coloured). 
  

  

  PinncB 
  alternate, 
  23-26 
  jugate, 
  oblong-lanceolate, 
  petiolate, 
  (central) 
  

  

  2 
  feet 
  6 
  inches 
  long, 
  10-12 
  inches 
  broad, 
  6-7 
  inches 
  distant 
  (lower 
  10 
  

   inches) 
  on 
  rachis. 
  

  

  Secondarij 
  divisions 
  or 
  jmimdes 
  alternate, 
  30-32 
  jugate, 
  linear-oblong 
  

   acuminate 
  and 
  sub-caudate, 
  5-6 
  inches 
  long, 
  1-li- 
  inches 
  broad, 
  petiolate, 
  

   pinnate, 
  thickly 
  covered 
  below 
  with 
  jagged 
  acuminate 
  shining 
  silky 
  light- 
  

   coloured 
  scales, 
  each 
  being 
  curiously 
  sprinkled 
  with 
  very 
  long 
  dark-browi:i 
  

   hau's. 
  

  

  Segments 
  alternate, 
  80-32 
  jugate, 
  close 
  set, 
  linear, 
  sub-falcate, 
  crenately' 
  

   serrate, 
  9 
  lines 
  long, 
  2-3 
  lines 
  broad, 
  widest 
  at 
  base, 
  lowermost 
  sub- 
  

   pinnatifid 
  petiolate 
  and 
  auricled 
  downwards, 
  barren 
  ones 
  broader, 
  deeply 
  

   serrate 
  or 
  sub-pinnatifid. 
  

  

  Veins 
  very 
  numerous, 
  conspicuous 
  and 
  tra,nslucent, 
  bi-pinnately 
  branched; 
  

   venules 
  10-12 
  in 
  each 
  lower 
  lobe, 
  and 
  running 
  quite 
  out 
  into 
  the 
  margin. 
  

  

  Sori 
  numerous, 
  crowded, 
  12-16 
  on 
  a 
  segment, 
  one 
  on 
  each 
  lobe 
  ; 
  invo- 
  

   lucre 
  globose, 
  transparent 
  green 
  and 
  hyaline 
  at 
  first, 
  afterwards 
  light-brown, 
  

   splitting 
  irregularly. 
  

  

  This 
  tree-fern 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  and 
  graceful 
  species 
  ; 
  one 
  that 
  at 
  first 
  sight, 
  and 
  

   without 
  examination, 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  mistaken 
  for 
  0. 
  n:edullaris, 
  which 
  it 
  

   much 
  resembles, 
  — 
  but 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  species 
  in 
  its 
  general 
  hairiness 
  and 
  

   and 
  woolliness, 
  in 
  its 
  larger 
  size 
  of 
  frond 
  (breadth, 
  etc.) 
  and 
  richer 
  appear- 
  

   ance, 
  in 
  its 
  pleasing 
  grass-green 
  colour, 
  its 
  truly 
  pinnate 
  segments, 
  its 
  

   peculiar 
  hairy 
  scales 
  and 
  its 
  numerous 
  pinnate 
  veins, 
  — 
  these 
  last 
  two 
  marks 
  

   being 
  its 
  specific 
  characteristics, 
  and 
  its 
  very 
  numerous 
  veins 
  or 
  venules 
  in 
  

   a 
  lobe, 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  its 
  trivial 
  name. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  known 
  this 
  fern 
  for 
  some 
  10-12 
  years 
  at 
  least. 
  In 
  1865-6 
  I 
  

   found 
  a 
  young 
  plant 
  growing 
  here 
  on 
  my 
  ground 
  (Sdnde 
  Island, 
  Napier) 
  

   among 
  the 
  common 
  fern 
  ( 
  Pteris 
  esculenta), 
  and 
  removed 
  it 
  to 
  my 
  garden, 
  

   where 
  it 
  has 
  done 
  exceedingly 
  well, 
  although 
  last 
  summer 
  it 
  suffered 
  from 
  

   the 
  very 
  long 
  drought. 
  At 
  first, 
  and 
  for 
  some 
  years, 
  I 
  had 
  supposed 
  it 
  to 
  

   be 
  Cyalhea 
  mednllaris, 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  four 
  years, 
  during 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  borne 
  

   fruit 
  abunda.utly, 
  I 
  have 
  believed 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  new 
  and 
  distinct 
  species 
  ; 
  having 
  

  

  