■GO 



I. — FILICES. 



[Pieris 



RMzome subteiTanean. Fronds solitary, 

 tall, 3-4.-piimate, rigid ; pianules 

 linear, decurrent; glabrous or pu- 

 bescent 



Rhizome usually above-ground, hairy. 

 Fronds 1-2 ft. high, rigid, more or 

 less scabrous ; ultimate segments 

 minute 



II.- 



P. aquilina. 



3. P. scaberula. 



4. P. macilenta 



5. P. comans. 



- Veins netted. 



Fronds 2-4-pinnate, membranous ; pin- 

 nules stalked, deltoid, deeply lobed ; 

 lobes coarsely-toothed 



Fronds 2- or 3-pinnate, membranous ; 

 pinnules sessile and decurrent, 

 shortly lobed ; lobes toothed at the 

 apex 



Fronds pinnate or 2- or 3-pinnate, sub- 

 coriaceous, glaucous below ; pin- 

 nules broad, adnate or decurrent on 

 the rachis ; margiris usually entire 6. P. incisa. 



1. P. tremula, Br. 



Stipes more or less tuftgd, 1-2 ft. long, strong, erect, polished. 

 Fronds 2-4 ft. long, membranous, deltoid in outline ; rachis smooth ; 

 lower pinnse 1 ft. or more long, and often bipinnate ; upper pinnae 

 pinnate, segments linear-oblong, obtuse, fertile usually entire ; apices 

 of frond and pinnse pinnatifid, with numerous obliquely-decurrent 

 lobes j veins sunk. Sori copious, sometimes filling up the whole 

 segment, except the costa. 

 ■ Synonyms. — P. affinis, A. rich. ; P. tenuis, A. cunn. 



Distribution. — Australia, Tasmania, and Norfolk Island. Closely 

 allied to F. chilensis, a species occurring in Peru, Chili, and Juan 

 Fernandez. 



A common fern throughout the North Island, where it ascends to 

 3,000 ft. Rare in the South Island, and not found south of Banks' 

 Peninsula. 



In cultivation this fern thrives best in sheltered, somewhat shady 

 spots, requiring a considerable depth of rich light soil, containing a 

 large proportion of vegetable mould. It is rather delicate in the 

 southern parts of the South Island. 



2. P. aquilina, L. vat. esculenta (Brake or Bracken). 



Rhizome thick and creeping, subterranean. Stipes 1 ft. long or 

 more, strong, erect, pale, shining, glabrous. Fronds from 1 or 2 ft. 

 high, up to 10 ft., deltoid in outline, usually 3-pinnate, coriaceous; 

 primary pinnse distant, lowest pair largest and most compound ; 



