46 I. — FILICES. [TricJiomanes 



Soutli Island it occurs in many localities on the W. Coast from near 

 Hokitika to Foveaux Straits, and is reported by Mr. Armstrong as 

 ■occurring sparingly in Canterbury provincial district. 



This pretty little fern forms the connecting link between this and 

 the preceding genus, and in the " Handbook to the N.Z. Flora " was 

 included in Jlymetiophylluni. 



3. T. reniforme, Forst. {Kidney-fem.) 



Rhizome long, rigid, stout and creeping, with the fronds rather 

 distant from one another. Stipes 4-8 in. long, naked, wiry. Fronds 

 2-4 in. in diam., orbicular-reniform, with a deep basal sinus, dark 

 green, transparent when young, margins entire. Sori very numerous, 

 crowded round the edges of the fronds ; involucres tubular or 

 urceolate ; receptacle stout, much exserted and crowded with capsules. 



~' 'Distribution. — Eastern Australia and the Chatham Islands. In 

 New Zealand it is common in the North Island from Bay of Islands to 

 ^Wellington, and ranging from sea-level to nearly 3,000 ft. Abundant 

 'in the South Island along the whole W. Coast as far as the Bluff, but 

 ■quite absent in the eastern part of Otago, and very rare from the 

 Waitaki northwards. 



This is one of the most singular ferns known, and is an extremely 

 beautiful plant. The profusion in which it gi'ows in the damp bush 

 of the Sotinds of the W. Coast of Otago is remarkable; it covers square 

 miles of ground, and gives quite a characteristic appearance to the 

 undergrowth. It is not a difficult fern to cultivate if it gets a suffi- 

 ciently humid atmosphere, abundance of water to its roots, and rapid 

 drainage ; and, with those requisites, will thrive in any soil that 

 contains a fair share of vegetable mould, and is sufficiently light. 

 Yet, probably, more failures are made with this, than with any 

 other fern, by inexperienced cultivators. 



3. T. liumile, Forst. 



Rhizomes capillary, creeping, densely intermatted. Stipes \-^ in. 

 'long, slender, winged above. Fronds pendulous, very pale, thinly 

 membranous and nearly transparent, 1-4 in. long, ^-1 in. broad, 

 2-pinnatifid, lanceolate or linear-oblong in outline; rachis narrowly 

 winged ; pinnse pinnatifid, segments linear, simple or forked ; costse 

 single in each segment, unbranched. Sori solitary, sunk in the short 

 lateral segments ; involucres urceolate, shortly 2-lipped, mouth 

 spreading, receptacle more or less exserted. 



Synonyms. — T. endlicherianum, Presl.; T. aureum, V. den Posah ; 

 T. erectum, Brack. 



Distribution. — Java and several of the Pacific Islands, 

 This is stated by Baker to be probably a mere variety of 

 T. pyxidiferum Z., a species found throughout tropical America, 

 South and "West Africa, India, Borneo, and New Caledonia. 



