DESCRIPTIONS OF N.Z. FERNS. 83 



Stated in Mrs. Jones's and Mr. Thompson's books to be common as far south as Cook's 

 Straits, but I have never heard of its being gathered south of Manukau, unless at 

 Banks's Peninsula, which I think doubtful, as I find it will only grow in a greenhouse, 

 even in Wanganui. In light soil, and with moderate warmth, it grows freely and 

 produces spores abundantly. It soon spreads all over the surface of the pot, and in 

 the spring looks very handsome, as the young fronds vary in hue from coppery-brown 

 to rose-colour. 



ADIANTUM ^THIOPICUM. (A-de-an-tum E-the-o-pic-um.) 



" .\FRICA.\ MAIDEXHAIR." 

 PLATE XVII., No. 1. 



This plant differs from the others, and belongs to what is called the " Capillus 

 Veneris " group, because the ferns composing it more or less resemble the European 

 Maidenhair. This group has its fronds at least bi-pinnate, its pinnules more or less 

 fan-shaped, and stalked near the centre, and its sori obversely kidney-shaped. The 

 New Zealand plant has widely creeping rhizomes producing tufts of fronds at intervals. 

 The stipes and rachis are slender, dark brown and polished ; the former about half as 

 long as the frond, which is sometimes fifteen to eighteen inches long by six to nine 

 inches wide, triangular in shape, and tri or quadri-pinnate. A very large proportion of 

 the fronds are barren, and in these the pinnules are quite round with entire edges. In 

 the fertile fronds, however, they are more or less wedge-shaped towards the stalk, and 

 indented along their outer edge. Texture thin and habit drooping. Sori and 

 involucres rather large, kidney-shaped or oblong, and placed in the indentations of the 

 edge. The colour is a pale yellowish green. 



This fern, which is also called " Adiantum assimile," and by several other names, 

 occurs throughout Africa, from Southern Egypt to the Cape, throughout America 

 from California to Chili, as well as in Australia and the intervening islands. It is 

 abundant in the North Island from Auckland northward, has been gathered at Eltham 

 in Taranaki Province, and is said to have been found near Collingwood and on Banks's 

 Peninsula ; but, I believe, has never been met with anywhere else in New Zealand, 

 unless a fern found b^ Mr. G. Roberts, at Abbey rocks near Hokitika, but of which 

 I have seen no description or specimen, should be it. The plant is easily grown, and 

 particularly suited to being cultivated in hanging baskets, as its rhizomes will put forth 

 tufts of fronds wherever they get near the outer surface of the soil in the basket, and 

 these fronds will grow just as well downwards or sideways as upwards, and thus a 

 handsome mass of drooping foliage is produced. 



GENUS HYPOLEPIS. (Hi-po-lep-is.) 

 Hypo under, lepis a scale. Has the sori marginal, in indentations of the margin 

 of the frond ; more or less reniform, but often considerably elongated. Involucres 



