DESCRIPTIONS OF N.Z. FERNS. 103 



showing that the tints are caused merely by the conditions under which the ferns grow. 

 This fern varies somewhat in the form of its fronds, being sometimes far narrower than 

 at others. At Auckland, too, I saw many plants with narrow fronds, and very large 

 terminal pinnae to the barren ones ; and I observe that Mr. Thomson says it often has 

 a trunk one foot to two feet high ; though I have never seen one more than three 

 inches. I have occasionally seen the stipes forked, so as to produce two fronds. The 

 plant is very easy to cultivate, preferring sandy loam and leaf-mould, with a moderate 

 amount of shade, rather than moisture to the roots. 



LOMARIA AGGREGATA (Lo-ma-re-a Ag-gre-ga-ta ) 



PLATE XXIX., Nos. 7 and 7a. 

 A small fern is described, under this name, by the Rev. W. Colenso, at page 223 

 of Vol. XX of the Philosophical Transactions, as growing by the sides of streams and 

 watercourses in low gullies near Dannevirke, Hawke's Bay. It is described as " closely 

 and naturally allied to L. lanceolata, L. membranacea, L. pumila, L. oligoneuron, and 

 L. intermedia ; and yet as differing from all in several respects, but forming with them 

 a kind of natural sequence." The Revd. gentleman adds, " At the same time, with Sir 

 W J. Hooker, I feel obliged to remark on the great and increasing difficulty or 

 impossibility of making real distinctions and differences in allied ferns clearly known 

 without accurate drawings." Yet after saying this, and admitting that it is difficult to 

 distinguish the plant from L. lanceolata, his description is unaccompanied by a 

 drawing. The following is the description : " Rhizome (underground) loner, two or 

 three inches or more, narrow, woody. Rootstock (above ground) one to two inches 

 with many stipites, and numerous blackish subulate scales : rootlets brown lono- 

 fibrous, hairy, much branched ; several perfect plants growing in separate tufts or 

 heads from one root-stock. Plant small, tufted ; fronds erect, spreading, four to six 

 inches high, linear-lanceolate, pinnate, membranaceous, glabrous, green inclining to 

 pale ; stipes various lengths, half an inch to one inch (sometimes but rarely three 

 inches), very slender, channelled, minutely and thickly papillose, reddish brown, scaly 

 below at bases : sterile frond three to five inches long, six to nine lines wide, pinnato- 

 pinnatlfid, the green lamina completely severed to rachis (merely the extremely 

 narrow white, sub-cartilaginous translucent margin remaining, and so throughout) ■ 

 segments alternate, sometimes opposite, free but close, sinuses broad, broadly oblong- 

 (sometimes broadly deltoid the upper margin horizontal, and apex very obtuse) two 

 to four lines long, sessile with a broad base extended upwards and decurrent tips 

 rounded ; the lower segments small and semiorbicular, sometimes narrow lunate • the 

 terminal lobe ovate obtuse ; margins entire, slightly sinuate, narrowly cartilaginous 

 minutely and sharply serrulate {s7ib lente) at tips of veins with 2-3-4 microscopical 

 teeth close together; mid-rib not extending to tips; veins few pinnate, 4-5 jugate 



