1948 CLVI. FILIOES. 



16. ALSOPHILA, R. Br. 



(From the Greek; grove-loving.) 

 Trees, with large twice or thrice pinnate fronds, the transverse yei^J®'^, 

 of the pinnules or segments forked or divided, b.earing a sorus on one or both of 

 their branches. Sori globular, without any indusium, but the small scales 

 scattered on the veins occasionally subtending the sorus. Spore-cases numerous, 

 sessile or nearly so, usually more or less intermixed with hairs on a slightly raised 

 receptacle, each with a vertical or oblique ring. 



A large tropical and subtropical genus in the New and the Old- World, differing froni Gyathea 

 only in the want of an indusium. Of the six Australian species one is also in_Norfolk Island, 

 the others appear to be endemic. 



Secondry pinnce undivided, entire or crenate-serrate 1. A. Rebecca. 



Secondary pinnsa deeply pinnatifid, the segments all confluent at the 



base, ovate and entire . . i. A. Loddtgeiu. 



Secondary pinuea pinnate at the base, the lower pinnules distinct, the 

 upper ones confluent, all entire serrulate or slightly crenate. 



Pinnules or segments entire or obscurely crenate, serrulate only when 

 barren or in the barren end S. A. excelsa. 



Similar but smaller in all its parts than A. excelsa i. A. australis. 



Pinnules narrow, very neat, usually serrulate with rather small sori . 5. A. Leichhardtiana. 

 Secondary pinnae pinnate, the pinnules almost all distinct narrow and 



pinnatifid, hispid as well as the rhachis &. A. Boberteiana. 



1. A.. Itebeccse (after a lady friend of Baron von Mueller), B'. v. M. Fragm. 

 V. 53, 117 ; Benth. Fl. Austi: vii. 710. Trunk slender, often when broken down 

 producing a cluster of stems, 10ft. high and 3in. diameter, or sometimes 

 exceeding that height and diameter. Secondary pinnse dark and shining, 

 undivided, lanceolate, 2 to Sin. long, 4 to 5 lines broad, or rather more when 

 barren, acuminate, crenate or obtusely serrate, obliquely truncate at the base but 

 not adnate to the rhachis. Transverse veinlets with 3 to 7 branches. Sori rather 

 large, on 2 to 4 of the branches, forming about 2 irregular rows on each side of 

 the midrib.— Hook, and Bak. Syn. Filio. 40 ; Hook. Ic. PI. t. 1015 ; Bail. Litho. 

 Ferns Ql. 32. 



Hab.: Bockinghairi Bay, Dallachy, W. Hill; Port Denison and Daintree Biver, Fitzalan; 

 Cape York Peninsula, W. Hann's Expedition. Very common on Bellenden-Ker. 



Var. commutata. Wig Fern-tree. Trunk 6 to 12ft. or more Ijigh slender, seldom exceeding 

 a diameter of more than 2in. dark-coloured. Fronds 6 to 8!t. long, the stipes shortly appressed 

 to the trunk for a few inches, and more or less clothed with simple or furcated long hair-like 

 scales, which with the metamorphosed lower pinnsa crown the stem with a wig-like growth, the 

 divisions of which growth are narrow, much forked, and very intricate, hymenophylloid, and 

 greenish or sometimes purplish, the larger^ pinn» about 2ft. long, pinnules 2 to 4in. long, the 

 attenuated apex prominently serrated, the lower base with a rounded auricle, at times prominent, 

 the upper truncate and parallel to the secondary rhachis. Veins forked with 3 or 4 branches, 

 alternating with simple ones. Sori forming erect heaps in'one or two rows on the middle of the 

 veins.— Bail. Litho. Ferns Ql. 33, 3rd Suppl. Syn. Ql. Fl. 91. 



Hab.: Bellenden-Ker, in a damp gully at an altitude of 4,000ft. 



This form, in the metamorphosis of its pinnse and pinnules, resembles the old species 

 A. capentis. 



2. A. IiOddigesii (after Messrs. Loddiges, of Hackney), Kunze in Linnaa, 

 xxiii. 221 (name only) ; Baker Syn. Filie. 458 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 710. Fronds 

 apparently shorter than in A. australis, the rhachis slightly tomentose or 

 tuberculate, but soon glabrous and smooth. Secondary pinnte 2 to Bin, long, 

 lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid, the segments all confluent at the base, more ovate 

 than in A. australis, 3 to 4 lines long, 2 to 2J lines broad, obtuse or almost acute, 

 entire ; transverse veinlets entire or once forked. Sori rather small, 1 to 4 on 

 each side of the midrib of each segment. 



Hab.: Becorded for Queensland by F. v. M, 



