DESCRIPTIONS OF N.Z. FERNS. H9 



frond towards its base. This fern can easily be grown from young plants carefully 

 lifted, but it is difficult to transplant a large one safely. In the North Island, it will 

 grow in a well-shaded and sheltered damp fernery, but far better in a case ; though Mr. 

 Thomson seems to say that, in the cool climate of Otago, it merely needs " a shady 

 spot prote6led from wind." It is also called " Todea pellucida," " Leptopteris 

 hymenophylloides," and " L. pellucida." 



TODEA SUPERBA. (To-de-a Su-per-ba.) 

 "prince of wales' feather," "chenille fern," and "crape fern." 



PLATE XXI., No. 4. 

 This is confined to New Zealand and southward to the Auckland Islands. It 

 appears to be absent from the north end of the Colony; but from about Cambridge on 

 the Waikato, and Te Aroha on the Thames, southward, it occurs everywhere, in bush 

 land, at elevations of 2000 to 3500 feet, descending nearly to sea-level near Invercargill. 

 It is also called " Leptopteris superba." Rhizome erect, forming a conical rootstock, 

 sometimes three feet high, capped by a crown of numerous fronds, often two, and 

 sometimes four feet long. In the late spring this plant looks lovely. The 

 previous year's fronds, perhaps ten or twelve in number, are beginning to droop, 

 but still retain their semi-transparent dark-green colour, and above these there are an 

 equal number of young sub-ereft fronds of bright delicate green, contrasting beautifully 

 with the old ones. Stipes, short, naked or velvety, brown or brownish green. Rachis 

 same colour, but always more or less velvety. Frond varying in shape with age of 

 plant. At first the fronds of young plants cannot be distinguished from those of 

 Todea hymenophylloides, and this similarity continues till the fronds assume the oblong 

 stage. They then seem to change suddenly into a broad-lanceolate tri-pinnatifid form, 

 which they retain permanently. The pinnae are of the same shape as those of " Todea 

 hymenophylloides, but the lower ones are shortened gradually to mere pinnules. Both 

 pinnae and pinnules are much crowded together, and the latter are cut into long Hnear 

 pointed lobes, which all turn up and give the upper surface of the frond a mossy 

 appearance. In some plants, however, these lobes are fewer, aud the pinnae and 

 pinnules less crowded, and in this case, though the general form of the frond remains 

 the same, the lobes lie flat. This seems to be the plant known as " T. intermedia," 

 but I have heard the same name applied to the form of " T. Hymenophylloides," with 

 upturned lobes. In faft, the plants are so connefted by these intermediate stages^ 

 and so alike when young, that I feel a doubt whether they are not merely high and low 

 level fprms of one fern. A great many people try to grow this fern, and almost 

 invariably fail. To succeed, the plant must be taken up carefully with the whole of 

 its roots intaft, and it must be kept in a cool moist case. Exposure to a dry atmos- 

 phere, for even a few hours, will blacken all the points of the lobes, and spoil the look 



