﻿CoLENSO. 
  — 
  On 
  new 
  Ferns. 
  431 
  

  

  also 
  obtained 
  specimens 
  of 
  similar 
  plants 
  from 
  the 
  eastern 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  

   Kuahine 
  Mountain 
  forests, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  smaller 
  -woods 
  near 
  the 
  sea 
  on 
  

   the 
  east 
  coast. 
  

  

  In 
  general 
  appearance 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  handsomest 
  of 
  our 
  

   (known) 
  New 
  Zealand 
  Tree-ferns, 
  its 
  ample 
  fronds 
  having 
  much 
  less 
  

   rigidity 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  larger 
  species. 
  Of 
  my 
  garden-plant 
  the 
  

   fronds 
  shoot 
  early 
  in 
  spring, 
  and 
  grow 
  remarkably 
  fast, 
  at 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  about 
  

   ih 
  inches 
  longitudinally 
  per 
  diem 
  ; 
  the 
  outer 
  ones, 
  however, 
  die 
  rather 
  early 
  

   in 
  summer, 
  owing, 
  I 
  believe, 
  to 
  the 
  extreme 
  dryness 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  on 
  the 
  

   limestone 
  hill 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  growing 
  ; 
  and, 
  in 
  dying, 
  their 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  thick 
  

   stipes 
  bend 
  down 
  abruptly 
  at 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  above 
  their 
  junction 
  with 
  the 
  

   trunk, 
  but 
  not 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  withered 
  fronds 
  near 
  to 
  the 
  plant. 
  

  

  II. 
  IIymenophyllum. 
  

   Hymenophyllum 
  erccto-alatum, 
  sp. 
  nov. 
  

  

  Plant 
  terrestrial, 
  sarmentose; 
  rhizome 
  glabrous; 
  roots 
  and 
  rootlets 
  densely 
  

   villous 
  with 
  long 
  dark-brown 
  hairs. 
  

  

  i^ron(i 
  membranous, 
  bright 
  grass-green 
  colour, 
  3-4 
  inches 
  long, 
  2-3 
  inches 
  

   broad, 
  mostly 
  decurved 
  or 
  bent, 
  somewhat 
  ovate, 
  tripennatifid 
  ; 
  main 
  rachis, 
  

   and 
  also 
  secondary 
  rachises 
  winged 
  throughout 
  ; 
  wings 
  very 
  much 
  crisped 
  and 
  

   narrowly 
  undulated 
  and 
  vertical, 
  situated 
  nearer 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  and 
  

   so 
  giving 
  a 
  sulcated 
  appearance. 
  

  

  Stipes 
  distant 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  on 
  rhizome, 
  cylindrical, 
  stout, 
  woody, 
  

   wiry, 
  irregular, 
  bent 
  and 
  curved, 
  4-5 
  inches 
  long, 
  always 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  

   frond, 
  light 
  coloured, 
  slightly 
  winged 
  above, 
  wings 
  decreasing 
  gradually 
  

   downwards 
  for 
  1-2 
  in. 
  

  

  Segments 
  pinnatifid 
  ; 
  lohes 
  narrow, 
  very 
  close 
  together, 
  obtuse 
  and 
  entire. 
  

  

  Involucres 
  on 
  lateral 
  segments, 
  rather 
  large, 
  sub-orbicular, 
  open, 
  free, 
  

   lips 
  toothed 
  ; 
  sori 
  semi-exserted 
  and 
  coloured 
  red. 
  

  

  This 
  fern 
  is 
  naturally 
  allied 
  to 
  H. 
  dcmissum 
  (although 
  that 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  

   much 
  larger 
  species), 
  but 
  in 
  several 
  respects 
  it 
  differs 
  from 
  it, 
  — 
  not 
  even 
  

   belonging 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  (artificial) 
  section 
  ; 
  of 
  which 
  Sir 
  J. 
  Hooker 
  says 
  : 
  — 
  

   " 
  Frond 
  pinnate 
  below, 
  stipes 
  not 
  winged, 
  rachis 
  winged 
  above 
  only." 
  

   (Handbook). 
  In 
  all 
  which 
  characters 
  our 
  fern 
  widely 
  differs 
  ; 
  also, 
  in 
  its 
  

   smaller 
  size, 
  colour, 
  closeness 
  of 
  segments, 
  involucres, 
  clusters 
  of 
  sori, 
  etc*, 
  

   etc. 
  The 
  peculiarity 
  of 
  its 
  being 
  almost 
  vertically 
  winged 
  gives 
  it 
  a 
  striking 
  

   appearance, 
  which, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  bright 
  light-green 
  of 
  its 
  frond, 
  and 
  the 
  

   red 
  colour 
  of 
  its 
  large 
  clusters 
  of 
  prominent 
  sori, 
  catches 
  the 
  eye 
  at 
  first 
  

   sight, 
  in 
  its 
  fresh 
  state. 
  Fruitful 
  fronds, 
  however, 
  are 
  rather 
  scarce. 
  

  

  Hah 
  : 
  Growing 
  diffusely 
  among 
  roots 
  of 
  trees 
  in 
  dry 
  forests 
  near 
  Norse- 
  

   wood 
  (Forty-mile 
  Bush), 
  Hawke 
  Bay, 
  187G 
  ; 
  and 
  again, 
  1878. 
  

  

  