58 I. — FiLiCES. [Cheilanthes 



S. G. sieberi,. Kunze. 



Stipes densely tufted, 2-6 in. long, erect, "wiry, polished, dark- 

 brown, slightly hairy at the base. Fronds 3-9 in. long, |-1J in. 

 broad, narrow oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 3-pinnatitid ; rachis. 

 wiry, naked, polished, pinnse in 3-15 opposite pairs, lower pairs 

 distant, |-1^ in. long, |-J in. broad, broadly deltoid; pinnules 

 oblong-deltoid, pinnate at the base ; segments entire, lobed or 

 crenate. Sori rarely continuous, and never projecting beyond the 

 margin of the pinnule ; involucres small, roundish, not apparently 

 toothed. 



Synonym. — C. preissiana, Kunze. 



Distribution. — Australia, Kew Caledonia', Isle of Pines. 



Tolerably common in New Zealand, usually growing in rocky and 

 stony ground, and very frequently close to the sea. In the North 

 Island it is quite characteristic of the volcanic districts about 

 Auckland, where it grows plentifully on the dry scoria rocks ; it 

 extends to the N. Cape, but is rare at the Thames. 



In the South Island it is also tolerably common throughout Otago- 

 and Canterbury. 



In the " Handbook of the N.Z. Flora," this and the preceding 

 species are mixed together under the name C. tenuifolia, var. sieberi. 

 Both species thrive well and easily under cultivation, preferring a 

 bright airy spot to grow in and stony well-drained soil, but — as Mr. 

 Potts remarks — they have usually a very shabby and scrubby 

 appearance from the extreme persistence of the withered fronds. 

 In the fernery these can easily be cut — not torn — away, when the 

 plants present a very trim, neat appearance. 



Genus XV.— PELL^A,* Idnk (PI. II. fig. 6.) 



Fronds pinnate (in the N. Z. species), tufted, coriaceous, dark- 

 green; veins forked, free, very obscure. Sori continuous round the 

 edge of the pinnules ; involucre more or less membranous, very 

 narrow, quite continuous, formed of the more or less changed 

 margin of the frond. 



Pinnse lanceolate, more or less falcate, 



acute 1. P. falcata. 



Pinnse oblong or rounded, obtuse or 



mucronate 2. P. rotundifolia. 



1. P. falcata, Fee. 



Rhizome scaly, wide-creeping, short, wiry. Stipes 3-6 in. long,, 

 strong, erect, nearly black, more or less hispid. Fronds 6 in. -3 ft 

 long, 1-2 in. broad, narrow-linear ; rachis densely scaly and 

 tomentose ; pinnse 10 to 20 on each side, |-1|- in. long, ^-^ in. broad, 



* Gr. Pellos, dark coloured, from the colour of the fronds. 



