276 



F I L I C E S. 



Hab. Tahiti, Society Islands: on the northwest slope of Mount 

 Aorai. 



The fronds are smooth, membranaceous, and tripinnate ; the pinnce 

 opposite, sessil, distant, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, and spreading ; the 

 pinnules nearly opposite, oblong-lanceolate, and deeply pinnatifid; the 

 segments subdimidiate-oblong , obtuse, and bluntly lobate-dentate. The 

 primary rhacliis is angular, of a pale straw-colour, and together with 

 the secondary ones, beset with numerous brown and glossy prickles, 

 which are frequently double or approximate in pairs. Costa rufous - 

 hirsute. Veins slender, the venules forking. 



The only specimen of this singular Fern in the collection is desti- 

 tute of sori, about fifteen inches in length, and consists of the extre- 

 mity of what apparently has been a large frond ; it was collected by 

 Mr. James D. Dana, Mineralogist to the Expedition, while on an 

 excursion to the summit of Mount Aorai. 



The character of the frond agrees so nearly with the description of 

 the Dicksonia scandens of Blume, that we cannot, in the absence of 

 the sori, do otherwise than refer it provisionally to that species. 



81. DICKSONIA, UHerit., J. Sm. 



(Balantii Spec. Kaulf. Culcita, Presl.) 



1. Dicksonia squarrosa, Sw. 



Bichsania squarrosa, Sw. Syn. Fil. p. 136 & 355 ; Willd. Spec. PI. 5, p. 485; A. 

 Cunn. in Hook. Comp. Bot. Mag. 2, p. 367; Hook. Spec. Fil. 1, p. 68. 



Hab. On high ridges ; vicinity of the Bay of Islands, and Wanga- 

 rara Bay (Northern Island), New Zealand. 



A beautiful arborescent Fern ; with a stout and erect trunk, from 4 

 to 6 feet high, crowned by a compact head of short and rigid fronds. 

 The points and serratures of its divisions are quite pungent. Stipes 

 short and black, their surface closely studded with short, hard, raised 

 points, and with long, spreading, brownish hairs at the base. The 

 plant is usually found in open and unshaded situations. 



