6 



thick, and well distinguished by the dense subulate vestiture, entire absence of prickles, thin hemis- 

 pherical pruinose coloured involucres. Like the two preceding, it makes its growth periodically, throw- 

 ing out a tier of fronds at, once and then resting for an interval. 



10. C. gracilis, Griseb. — Stem erect or deoumbent, 2£-3 in. thick occasionally reaching 10 ft* 

 high, clothed with the appressed persistent bases of pnst stipites; stipites erect, spreading 2-2£ ft. 1 

 dark bright chestnut, slightly warty at the base, but quite unarmed, arid densely clothed with rather 

 large ovate-acuminate scales of like chestnut colour ; fronds relatively large, but slender and lax, 4-7 ft. I. 

 3-3^ ft. w. tripinnate, chartaceous, dark green, naked ; rachis and costae dark bright brown, the latter 

 and the costulse rusty pubescent above, all otherwise naked ; pinnae lax, 1^-2 ft. 1. 5-10 in. w. truncate 

 and petioled at the base, the petioles 1-2 in 1. apex serrate-accuminate ; pinnulae distant, truncate and 

 pctiolcd below, the point eorrate accuminate, 3-5J in. L 1-2 in w. pinnate or only pinnatifid the costae 

 very slender; segments flat, oblong, incised throughout, or (in the pinnate pinnulae) Iobed half way to 

 the midrib, blunt or rounded, \ \\ in. 1 2 4 li. w. ; veins once to thrice forked; sori rather large, 

 situated at the forking; involucres delicately thin, hemispherical, split to the base eventually into 3 5 

 sepal- like pieces, exposing the sporangia aud the setiferous receptacle. 



Very plentiful in sheltered situations in forest at 5,000-6000 ft. alt in the region of the Govt. 

 Cinchona Plantation, where it is gregarious in slight valleys or depressions of the ground, growing in 

 leaf mould. The stem is rather soft and fibrous outside from the decaying stipites and coating of 

 aerial rootlets, the woody portion being only about 1^ inches in diameter. It is usually short, but 

 reaches in occasional instances 10-12 ft. The root hold in the peaty soil is not very firm, so that the 

 stems frequently fall and lie procumbent, though this does not much affect the growth. The pinnaa 

 drop with age, the dead stick-like rachises of past, rem lining with the present, fronds. The species 

 is remarkable for its very lax habit, the parts being relatively broader, distant and conspicuously pe- 

 ticled. 



11. C. dissoluta, Baker. — Stem 6-10 ft. high, 2|-3 in thick, clothed above with chestnut scales ; 

 stipites spreading, castaneous, prickly and asperous, the spines short straight and bluntish, densely 

 paleaceous at the base like the stem ; fronds tripinnate, 3-4J ft. 1. 1^-2 ft. or over w. chartaceous, dark 

 green, rachis, costae and costulae castaneous, the two latter puberulous beneath and rusty pubescent 

 above, the last having small chestnut rather bullate scales mixed with a few fibrils beneath which ex- 

 tend to the ribs and veins, other parts glabrous ; pinnae approximate, f -1£ ft. 1. 4-6 in w. shortly 

 petioled ; pinnulae near, 2 3 in 1. \-% in. w. sessile or the lower barely stipitate, serrate-acuminate, 

 fully pinnate at the base, almost as deeply pinnatifid above that ; segments oblong, flat, somewhat 

 curved, close, 4-5 li. 1. 1£ li. w. blunt, serrulate throughout ; veins generally once forked ; sori at or 

 just below the forking, near the rib, extending ^ or § up the segments; involucres chestnut brown, 

 thin, hemispherical, breaking down irregularly to the base into spreading calyciform or not, lobes, 

 exposing the setiferous receptacle. 



Infrequent in forests, sometimes associated with furfuracea and gracilis, at 5,000-6,000 ft. alt. 

 gathered a short way below Morce's Gap, at Portland Gap, and other situations of about the same eleva- 

 tion. I have said under that species that in cutting and form this and Alsophila parvula have a very 

 close resemblance. In addition to the generic character, they contrast however in the colour of their 

 vascular parts and vestiture, A. parvula too having a much taller more slender stem, and occupying a 

 much lower range of altitude. The sori appear to be larger in the smaller specimens. When freshly 

 gathered the substance is pellucid, with crowded minute grey dots on the underside. 



12. C. Schanschin, Mart. — Stem reaching several feet high, about 3 in. thick, clothed with very 

 dark castaneous scales at the top ; stipites rather slender, castaneous or blackish, glossy, 1-1| ft. 1. 

 freely armed with short straight spines and clothed at the base with scales like those of the stem; 

 fronds spreading, tripinnatifid, 3^-5 ft. 1. 2-2^ ft. w. chartaceous, dark green above, subglauceous 

 beneath, rachis costae and costulae rusty pubescent especially above, with similar minute scales scattered 

 generally over both surfaces of the segments ; pinnae 1-1 J ft. 1. 4-6 in. w. generally shortly pstiolate ; 

 pinnulae 2-3J in. 1. J in. w. approximate or with half their own with between, shortly stipitate, deep- 

 ly pinnatifid, or casually fully pinnate at the base, the point serrulate-acuminate ; segments 3-4 li. 1. 

 1£ li. w. oblong blunt, hardly curved, finely serrulate, or subentire, a little expanded at the base, the 

 lowest one being on the inferior side of the pinnulae; veins pellucid, once forked above the middle, or 

 simple; sori small, situated at or below the fork'ig ascending up the segment ; involucres very 

 thin, breaking down calyciform, revealing the small ciliate receptacles. 



Common on the highest slopes and peaks of the Blue Mountains, attaining the highest elevation 

 in the country, higher than any other species of tree fern. On the slopes just under the Blue Moun- 

 tain Peak it is common, but ascends though somewhat reduced in size, to the summit. The slightly 

 pedicellate pinnulae, rather zigzag costae glaucous underside and ciliate surfaces well mark the species 

 from those near it. The stipites and trunk are peculiarly dark, and look almost black in the forest. 

 At first the sporangia show clearly through the delicately thin involucres. 



13. C. furfuracea, Baker. — Stem reaching several ft. high, 2^-3 in. thick, even surfaced, the 

 Bears small and close, freely clothed at the top with ferruginous scales ; stipites 11| ft. 1. erect spreading, 

 dark bright brown, the base densely clothed with scales like those of the stem, and freely armed with 

 short bluntish spines, fronds drooping at the ends, 3|-4£ ft. 1.2 ft. w. or over chartaceous, dull green 

 above, pale beneath, rachis asperous, brown rather rusty pubescent above, costae slender, greyish pube- 

 scent above slightly muricate beneath, with a few deciduous scattered linear lanceolate dark brown 

 scales, which, reduced in size, extend to the costulae and ribs, the two latter parts densely coated be- 

 neath with meal coloured, more or less bullate, and acuminate scales, the other surface on both sides, 

 but chiefly the under, bearing small scattered greyish fibrils ; pinnaB l-ljft. 1. 3J-4 in. w. approxi- 

 mate, nearly sessile or shortly pedicillate, shortly acuminate ; pinnulae close, or with a slight space be- 



