Aspleniwri] 



I. FILICES. 



73 



1. A. flabellifolium, Gavanilles. (PI. III. fig. 1.) 



EMzome very small. Stipes 3-6 in. long, slender, fiexuous, green 

 or brown. Fronds tufted, procumbent, straggling widely and rooting 

 at the tips, 6-18 in. long; pinnae 10-15 on each side, sessile, flabellate, 

 :^J in. long and broad, broadly lobed and the lobes sharply toothed. 

 Sori 3-8 on each pinna, oblique, irreglilar. 



Synonym. — A. flabellifortoe. Hook. 



Distribution. — Australia EOid Tasnania. ^ 



A very common fern in NeV Zealald, always growing in rocky or , 

 stony ground. It occurs thrVughoM both islands, thoilgh rather 

 local in forest-clad districts. Ht is tft most easily cultivated species 

 of the whole genus, as well as one of Bie most beautifuli^nd succeeds 

 as well under pot or basket culture ^ in the open air. ' 



2. A. tridioBianes, L. ' 



Rhizome short, thick. Stipes 1-4 Bi. long, naked, chestnut-brown, 

 polished. Fronds tufted, 3-12 in. lonfterect, linear, rather coriaceous ; 

 pinnte very numerous in opposite pairs, ^f in. long, oblong or obovate, 

 slightly crenate, obliquely cuneate at the base. Sori 3-6 on each 

 side of the midrib, linear-oblong, oblique. 



Distribution. — Throughout the north temperate zone, " from 

 Britain and the Azores eastward to Japan and the Himalayas, where 

 it ascends to 6-8,000 ft.," Northern Polynesia, N. America, and the 

 Andes of S. America, S. Africa, Australia, and Tasmania. 



In New Zealand this little fern is found in the open mountainous 

 country of both islands ; like the preceding species, it grows chiefly 

 among rocks and stones. In the N. Island it occurs in the ranges 

 from E. Cape to Taranaki and south to Wellington, but apparently 

 has not been found to the north of Tauranga. In the S. Island it 

 occurs throughout the whole of the central ranges, also in the 

 Kaikouras and in Banks' Peninsula, at elevations of 500-3,000 ft. 



An extremely hardy species, which grows readily under cultiva- 

 tion, if its natural conditions of life are imitated as much as 

 possible. 



3. A. ObtUSatUm, Forst. "/A ^e t^K^ " 



Rhizome short, thick, scaly. Stipes 3-6 in. long, very stout, 

 greyish, clothed at the base with large, thin, grey, lanceolate scales. 

 Fronds 6-18 in. long, unusually thick and coriaceous, very variable, 

 linear-oblong to deltoid; pinnae 2-12 pairs, shortly stalked, varying 

 from \-\\ in. long, and obliquely oblong or ovate-lanceolate, obtuse 

 to 3-6 in. long, and lanceolate, acuminate, crenate, serrate or 

 pinnatifid, bases truncate, cuneate or rounded. 



This species is taken by me to include a number of forms, which, 

 though quite distinct in their typical states, are so united by gradual 

 and intermediate transitional stages as to be most difficult of separa^ 

 tion. They pass also, by almost imperceptible gradations, from the 



