lIy'menof}iylluni\ i. — yiLiCEg. 43- 



numerous, small, terminal on tlie lateral segments ; involucres 

 orbicular or oblong, divided more than half-way down ; lijas entire. 



Synonyms. — H. nitens, Br. ; H. hookeri, Bory. and V. den Bosch. 



Distribution. — Avistralia, the Philippines, and probably Sumatra ;. 

 also Auckland and Chatham Islands. 



A common fern in New Zealand, ranging from the Bay of Islands 

 to Stewart Island ; local along the E. Coast of the South Island. 

 In the. North Island it ascends to 2,500 ft. 



Like H. rarum, this species sends its creeping rhizomes under the 

 bark of decaying trees, or among the fibres of tree-fern stems, though 

 not to the same extent, and is therefore not a very easy plant to lift. 

 These two are both rather troublesome to cultivate. 



16. H. rufescens, Kirh. 



Rhizome creeping, slender. Stipes, costa and veins when young 

 sparingly clothed with deciduous curved hairs. Stipes very slender, 

 1-2 in. long, exceeding the fronds. Fronds 1-1-|- in. long, deltoid, 

 sometimes cuneate at the base, pinnate ; rachis winged above the 

 second pair of pinnae ; pinnse 2-pinnatifid, unequally rhomboid, the 

 lowest pair divided nearly to the midrib ; the basal pinnules spread- 

 ing. Sori terminal ; involucres small, half -immersed, divided nearly 

 to the base, hairy when young ; lips entire or minutely toothed. 



This very recent addition to the genus is described in the " Trans- 

 actions of the N.Z. Inst," vol. xi. p. 457. It has been gathered in 

 two localities only — viz., in the Ruahine mountains, in the N. Island, 

 and at Okarita, Westland, in the S. Island. 



17. H. ciliatum, Sioartz. 



Rhizome 1-2 in. long, filiform. Stipes 1-2 in. long, ciliated and 

 decurrently winged above. Fronds 2-6 in. long, 1-2 in. broad, 

 oblong, acuminate, ;3-pinnatifid ; main rachis broadly winged through- 

 out and ciliated ; lower pinnfe oblong or rhomboid, with a broad 

 central undivided portion ; segments linear, simple or forked,, 

 ciliated. Sori numerous, terminal on the lateral segments ; involu- 

 cres suborbicular, immersed ; valves divided about half-way down ; 

 lips conspicuously ciliated. 



Synonyms. — H. plumieri, Hooh. ; H. boryanum, Willd. Besides 

 these, Baker, in the " Synopsis FiHcum," includes no less than eleven 

 species admitted by Van den Bosch. 



Distribution. — Common in tropical America from Cuba to Brazil, 

 and Chili ; E. Himalayas ; W. tropical Africa, and in the E. in the 

 Zambesi district, Mauritius, Madagascar, Bourbon, and other E. 

 African Islands. 



This fern was originally found (in New Zealand) near Nelson, by 

 Mr. Travers, but the exact locality has been forgotten. It is said by 

 Mr. Armstrong to occur — though rarely — in the Canterbury provincial 

 district ; I have not seen it. 



