•Gleiehenidj i. — filices. 25 



I. — Lobes of the pinnae small, suborbicular. Sori solitary on the 

 tip of the veinlets. 



Lobes of the pinnje flat or recurved. 



Sori exposed 1. G. circinata. 



Lobes of the pinnse pouch-like, con- 

 cealing the sori 2. G. dicarpa. 



II. — Lobes of the pionse linear. Sori on the middle or forks 

 of the veinlets. 



Lobes of the pinnae serrulate, not glaucous 



below 3. G. flabellata. 



Lobes of the pinnae entire, glaucous 



below 4. G. cunninghamii. 



III. — Stipes zigzag, repeatedly di- or tri-chotomous. Base of the 

 forked branches with a pair of accessory pinnse 



5. G. dichotoma. 



1. G. circinata, Swartz. (Pi. L figs. 1-3.) 



Fronds 1-3 ft. high ; stipes and rachis glabrous or more or less 

 •chafiy, hairy or scaly; branches very narrow, 6-12 in. long, forked 

 and pinnate. Pinnse 1-2 in. long, very narrow ; lobes ovate or 

 semicircular, flat or recurved, green or glaucous beneath. Capsules 

 3-4, superflcial. 



Synonyms. — G. microphylla, Br.; G. speluncse, Br.; G. 



semivestita, LaB.; G. rupestris, Br. 



.^•^ 

 Distribution (outside New Zealand). — Tasmania, Australia, 



New Caledonia, Malacca and part of Polynesia. Ok^t^ 



This fern occurs abundantly throughout the northern part of the 



North Island, from N. Cape southwards, but becomes more local in 



the southern part. It is often found on newly-cleared ground. In 



the S. Island it is not so common, occurring sparingly along the line 



of the Southern Alps, Westland, Banks' Peninsula, along the E. of 



Otago, and both sides of Foveaux Straits. Also on the Chatham 



Islands. It is to be found (like the other N.Z. species of the genus) 



in rather poor, cold soil, either in open land or among low scrub, but 



never in dense bush. 



All the Oleichenias are rather difficult to cultivate : this species 



thrives best in a mixture of loam, peat and sand, with plenty of 



water and good drainage. 



2. G. dicarpa, Br. /d^'-za.^/ui, i/a-^c 



Fronds erect, 3 in.-3 ft. high ; stipes more or less woolly with 

 brown pubescence, especially at the nodes; branches 2-12 in. long. 

 Pinnae J-2 in. long, narrow ; lobes round, pouch-like, coriaceous. 



