DESCRIPTIONS OF N.Z. FERNS. i39 



POLYPODIUM GRAMMITIDIS. (Pol-ly-po-de-um gram-mi-tid-is.) 



PLATE XIV., No. 3. 



This fern is found in Tasmania, Victoria, and the Chatham Islands, as well as in 

 New Zealand. In the latter it occurs from end to end of the Colony from the coast 

 up to about 3000 feet elevation. It is also called "Grammitis heterophylla," 

 " Xiphopteris heterophylla," and " Ctenopteris grammitidis." It is often found in 

 the New Zealand forests growing among moss on tree-trunks, and sometimes on logs. 

 It has a short, stout, ereft, scaly rhizome, covered with a handsome tuft of fronds. 

 Stipes short, brown, smooth, and slightly winged; in faft, merging into the frond itself- 

 Rachis also smooth and brown. The frond varies greatly in shape, but is generally 

 more or less ovate or lanceolate, and always merely pinnatifid or pinnati-partite. 

 Sometimes it is long and narrow, with shallow rounded lobes, the edges of which are 

 entire. At others again, the lobes become long and narrow, either oblong or tapering, 

 and decurrent on lower side. At others again, the lobes become longer still, and 

 themselves lobed more or less deeply ; and occasionally a plant is met with, whose 

 fronds, or some of them, divide again. Often the lower part of the frond is 

 comparatively simple, and the upper-portion is deeply lobed or branched. The texture, 

 however, is the same in all cases, viz .- — thickly coriaceous, and the colour dark, 

 brownish, rather glossy green, with inconspicuous veins. Sori oval oroblong, numerous, 

 and placed on the undersides of the lobes, mostly towards apex of frond. It is not an 

 easy fern to cultivate, as when its roots are detached from the bark on which they 

 grow, they seem to have a difficulty in again attaching themselves to anj'thing, or in 

 absorbing nourishment from the material in which they are planted. Rotten bark and 

 leat-mould are the best substances in which to plant this fern, and it must be kept in 

 a glazed case, or under a bell-glass, till it is established. When it is so, it will require 

 little attention besides occasional watering. It is so handsome a little fern that it is 

 worth some trouble to get it to grow. 



ARTHROPTERIS GROUP (Ar-throp-ter-is) 

 Has creeping or climbing rhizomes, and pinnate, often pendulous fronds. One New 

 Zealand fern belongs to it, viz : — 



POLYPODIUM TENELLUM (Pol-ly-po-de-um te-nel-lum), 



PLATE IV., No. 4, 

 Has long, rather slender, hard, creeping rhizomes, which spread about above the 

 surface of the ground, and climb trees by means of their rootlets. Stipes, short, 

 brown and smooth. Rachis also brown and smooth. Fronds distant, long, narrow, 

 lanceolate, pinnate. Pinns distant, alternate, stalked, long-oval or lanceolate, with 

 edges entire at first, but very slightly crenate or lobed as the sori develope. Sori 

 small, round, and placed one in centre of each lobe. Texture thinly coriaceous : 



