96 I. — FiLiCES. [Schizcect 



3. S. bifida, Swartz. 



Stipes dense, chestnut-brown, passing gradually into the terete 

 frond, which is 6-18 in. long, once forked at or below the middle, 

 rarely forked again or undivided, wiry or rush-like, narrowly-winged, 

 midrib scabrous, about ^\j- in. thick ; fertile segments suberect or 

 recurved, |-f in. long, fruiting-spikes 10-20, slender, closely-packed, 

 erecto-patent, the lowest J^-f in. long, margins ciliated. 



Distribution.— T&smnrda, and Australia. 



In New Zealand this species is confined to the N. Island, and 

 ranges from Whangarei and the Bay of Islands to the Thames, where- 

 it ascends to 2,000 ft. It is usually to be found on wretchedly cold, 

 poor clay soils. 



4. S. dichOtoma, Swartz. (PI. III. fig. 11.) 



Stipes 6-12 in. long, firm, erect, glossy, channelled on the face- 

 above. Fronds fanlike in outline, 6-9 in. each way, flattened, many 

 times dichotomously forked, the ultimate divisions -^ - y\- in. broad. 

 Fruiting segments ^^ in. long, with 4-10 very narrow and contiguous- 

 fruiting spikes, -rV " I ^- ^°^'^S> "^^^^ laciniate margins. 



Synonyms. — S. forsteri, Spreng.; S. cristata, Willd.; &c. 



Distribution. — Mauritius, Reunion, India, Malacca, Philippines,. 

 Australia, Polynesian Islands and tropical America. 



Only found in the Kauri forests of the North Island, from^ 

 Auckland to Bay of Islands ; and on some of the islands in the- 

 Hauraki Gulf. It is said to have been gathered at Banks' Peninsula,, 

 but the locality is not a probable one. 



Genus XXVIII.— LYGODIUM,* Siom-tz. (PI. IV. fig. 1.) 



Climbing ferns, with long twining stems. Fronds dichotomously 

 branched, usually in divaricate shortly-stalked pairs ; veins free, 

 forked. Capsules solitary in the axils of imbricating scales or 

 involucres, which are arranged in distichous spikes projecting from 

 the frond. 



1. L. artiCUlatum, A. Rich. (Manga-Manga.) 



Ehizome slender, covered with brown scales. Stems 50-100 ft. 

 long, climbing to the tops of forest-trees. Fronds quite glabrous,, 

 rather coriaceous, much branched ; primary petiole \-\ in. long, 

 secondary 1-3 in. long ; barren pinnules twice forked, each bearing 

 4 linear or oblong segments, which are 2-3 in. long, about \ in. 

 broad, and are jointed on to a short petiole ; fertile pinnules shoi-t, 

 many times dichotomously divided, with densely-clustered short 

 spikes. 



* Gr., Lygodes, flexible or pliant. 



