POLYPODIACE^E. 37 



3. NlPHOBOLUS BICOLOR, Kaulf. 



N. rhizomate elongate repente ramoso; frondibus integerrimis stellate- 

 pubescentibus subtus incanis, sterilibus lanceolatis obtusis basi atte- 

 nuatis, fertilibus linear i-lanceolatis, costd prominente ; soris distantibus 

 vel approximatis. 



Nvphobolusbicohr, Kaulf. Enum. Fil. p. 128; Hook. & Grev. Ic. Fil. t. 44; A. 



Cunn. in Hook. Comp. to Bot. Mag. p. 363. 

 Poli/podium stellatum, Sw. Syn. Fil. p. 25 ; Willd. Spec. PI. 5, p. 151 ; A. Rich. Bot. 



Voy. Astrol. p. 64 (excl. syn. R. Br.). 



Hab. Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Tahiti, Society Islands : on 

 trees. 



Rootstock long, creeping, branched, rooting, and covered with brown 

 slender paleae. Fronds entire; the under surface with a dense coating 

 of whitish stellate pubescence, and a prominent costa ; the upper surface 

 smooth, with only a few scattered stellate scales: the sterile fronds 

 lanceolate, much attenuated at the base, and from 3 to 4 inches long ; 

 the fertile linear-lanceolate, obtuse, frequently contracted towards the 

 point, from 3 to 5 inches long, with a stipe about equal in length 

 to that of the sterile fronds. Sori usually confined to the upper half 

 of the frond, either distant or approximate, and sometimes confluent. 



Richard, in the Botany of the Astrolabe, has referred to this species 

 the Polypodium rupestre of R. Brown, which is the Niphobolus rupestris 

 of the present work; and we admit that there are many points in 

 which the two are very much alike ; yet marks of difference are very 

 evident by which they can be distinguished. In N. bicolor, the whole 

 plant is invariably of a more robust habit, with fronds three to four 

 times the length of those of N. rupestris; the sterile fronds are of a 

 lanceolate form, while the fertile ones have a more prominent costa 

 beneath, and the upper surface more sparsely furnished with stellate 

 pubescence. 



10 



