DESCRIPTIONS OF N.Z. FERNS. m 



LOMARIA MEMBRANACEA. (Lo-ma-re-a mem-bra-na-se-a.) 



PLATE v., Nos. 6 and 6a. 

 This pretty fern is peculiar to New Zealand, and is not by any means rare in the 

 North Island, at low levels, though it seems to be scarcer in the Middle Island, and is 

 said to be almost unknown on the West Coast. It generally occurs in damp situations, 

 such as the banks of streams, and the bottoms of gullies, but attrafts notice at once. 

 The rhizome is about as thick as a man's little finger, ereft, scaly, and occasionally 

 rises an inch or two above ground, with a crown of sub-ereft barren fronds, encircling 

 an inner ring of erect fertile ones. The stipes of the barren frond is short and 

 scaleless, and the rachis is also devoid of scales or hairs. The frond is ovate- 

 lanceolate, the lower pinnae diminishing to mere auricles. The pinnse are alternate, 

 and oblong, with rounded ends, and serrated edges. They are genera'ly widest near 

 the ends, and then narrowed farther down, but widen out again to broad bases, sessile 

 on the rachis. The terminal one is lobed and rather longer than the rest. Their 

 colour is shining rather dark green, but appears lighter than it really is, in consequence 

 of the membranous texture and distinct venation. The stipes of the fertile frond is 

 much longer and the pinnse are far apart, and quite linear, with decurrent bases 

 extending down the rachis on their lower sides. The plant is very easy to cultivate, 

 in sandy soil and leaf-mould, provided that the atmosphere around it is fairly moist. 

 It is the L. pumila of Mrs. Jones' hand-book. 



The last of our Lomarias belongs to quite a different group, which is distinguished 

 by its sterile fronds being bi-pinnate or bi-pinnatifid. It is called 



LOMARIA FRASERI. (Lo-ma-re-a Fra-zer-i.) 



PLATE XXIV., Nos. 4 and 4a. 

 Has slender creeping rhizomes, from which slender caudices arise at intervals. 

 These sometimes only just rise above the surface of the ground, but under more 

 favourable conditions they assume a quasi-arborescent form often from two to three 

 feet high. They are always fibrous and scaly, and bear crowns of barren and fertile 

 fronds intermixed. Stipes moderately long, stout, ereft, scaly at bottom, but smooth 

 above, varying from yellowish to dark brown. Rachis smooth and wino-ed 

 throughout, the web widening out into pointed lobes between the pinnae. Fronds 

 ovate-lanceolate, and bi-pinnatifid, barren and fertile ones being alike, though the 

 latter are generally rather the smaller. The pinnse are tapering, and divided into deep 

 pointed lobes, with slightly serrated edges, and decurrent bases. Texture varying 

 from almost membranous to sub-coriaceous, according to situation, the harshest fronds 

 occuring in the most exposed places. The lobes of the fertile fronds are slightly 

 narrower than those of the barren ones, and are covered beneath with a golden yellow 

 or light brown mass of fructification, which gives the plant a very handsome appearance. 



