Todea] i. — filices. 93- 



obscure, horizontal ring, collected in sori or clustered irregularly on 

 the under-surface of the segments. 



I. — Eutodea. Texture of the frond coriaceous. 



Fronds 2-8 ft. long, 2-pinnate 1. T. barbara. 



II. — Leptopteris, Presl. Texture of the frond thinly-membranous- 

 and pellucid. 



Lowest pinnules as long as the others, 

 so that the base of the frond is 

 truncate 2. T. hymenophylloides.. 



Lowest pinnules smaller than those 

 above, so that the frond gradually 

 narrows to its base 3. T. superba. 



1. T. barbara, Moore. (Pi. IIL fig. 10.) 



Stem erect, often forming a stout trunk, 4 or 5 ft. high. Stipes 

 1 ft. long or more, stout, pale-brown, quadrangular, glabrous and 

 smooth. Fronds 3-8 ft. long, 2-pinnate, glabrous, coriaceous ; pinnte 

 linear, ereoto-patent, 6-9 in. long, l|--2 in. broad ; pinnules close,, 

 alternate, linear, 1-1^- in. long, ^-| in. broad, crenate or serrate on 

 the margins, the upper with sessile (often decurrent) bases. Sori 

 dense on the lower pinnules of the lower pinnae, when mature filling 

 up nearly the whole under-surface. 



Synonyms. — T. africana, Willd. ; T. rivularis, Sieh. ; Osmunda 

 barbara, Thun. 



Distribution. — Australia, Tasmania and S. Africa. 



Only found in New Zealand in the North Auckland district, where 

 it is not uncommon from N. Cape to Bay of Islands and Whangaroa. 

 Mr. T. H. Potts states that in sheltered spots this is a sufficiently 

 hardy fern to stand the winter of Canterbury, and that he has grown 

 it in the open fernery for some years. 



3. T. hymenophylloides, Bich. and Less, 



Bhizome short, rarely as much as 2 ft. high, stout, creeping or 

 erect. Stipes 6-1 2 in. long, erect, glabrous or more or less tomentose. 

 Fronds tufted, 1-2 ft. long, 6-12 in. broad, ovate-lanceolate or deltoid, 

 2-pinnate, pellucid-membranous ; pinnae close, linear-lanceolate, 4-6- 

 in. long, f-i^; in. broad, the rachis winged towards the apex only, the 

 lowest as long as those above them ; pinnules close, shortly stalked, 

 linear-oblong, -|-f in. long, \ in. broad, cut almost to the rachis into- 

 simple or forked linear segments. 



Synonyms. — T. pellucida, Hoolc. ; Leptopteris hymenophylloides,. 

 Presl. 



Distribution. — Confined to New Zealand, where it is common in^, 

 all wooded parts. This fern is easily cultivated, provided it be^ 



