42 
TRE FERN WOULD OF AUSTRALIA. 
of most of the lobes and usually occupying their whole breadth. 
Said to have been collected on the wet rocks near Rockhampton. 
A. sethiopicum, Linn. Small Maiden-hair fern. Rhizome 
tufted or stoloniferous. Fronds from a few inches to one and half 
feet high, and sometimes very broad, two to four pinnate, the 
rhachis slender shining, often flexuose. Pinnules on short often 
capillare petiolules, mostly obovate-orbicular with a more or less 
cuneate equal base, three to five lines broad, thin and bright green, 
broadly crenate or shortly lobed, Sori distinct in the sinus of the 
crenatures, the reflexed indusium reniform or at length transversely 
oblong. Common throughout Australia reaching into the interior 
and also in Tasmania. 
A. formosum, R. Br. Tall scrub Maiden-hair fern. Rhizome 
creeping, scaly, often deep in the soil. Fronds one to four feet 
high, broadly spreading two to four pinnate, the stipes often scabrous 
usually black with numerous pinnse, the primary and secondary 
ones always simply pinnate at the end, the main rhachis usually 
flexuose, slender and black. Pinnules membranous or scarcely 
coriaceous, shortly petiolulate, obHquely obovate or rhomboidal, 
usually three to four lines long, the entire sides very unequal, the 
upper margin when barren crenate. Sori on or between the teeth. 
Indusium somewhat reniform. Very abundant throughout Queens- 
land in dense scrubs, also plentiful in N. S Wales and Tasmania. 
A. affine, VYilld. Rhizome long, creeping over rocks and olten 
exposed. Fronds very spreading, sparsely divided on tall black 
stipites one to two feet high, bi-tripinnate. Pinnule nearly sessile, 
very obliquely ovate or oblong-rhomboidal four to eight lines broad, 
the under smrface often of a light color, outer margins dentate. 
Sori marginal, scarcely indented. Indusium broadly reniforai. 
Found creeping over the rocks in the water courses at Maroochie in 
Queensland ; also at Port Jackson, Blue Mountains and Richmond 
and Macleay rivers, N. S. Wales. Yar. intermedium is a form in 
which the indusium differs somewhat, resembling more that of A. 
formosum and has been collected both in Queensland and N. S. 
Wales. 
A. diaphanum, Blume. Rhizome tufted. Fronds six to twelve 
inches high, stipes slender the two to five upper pinnae three to six 
inches long, the lower ones sometimes with one or two secondary 
ones at the base. Pinnules numerous, very shortly stalked, 
obliquely ovate-rhomboidal very unequal at the base, thinly mem- 
branous, three to six lines broad, the outer margin dentate. Sori 
in the sinus of the teeth. Indusium deeply reniform. Queensland, 
Rockingham Bay, Daintree River in the north, and at or near the 
southern border, also Richmond River in N. S. Wales. 
A. Mspidulum, Sw. Rough stalked Maiden-hair fern. Rhizome 
tufted. Fronds once or twice forked at the base, each branch 
ending in a long falcate pinn^ or pinnately divided at the base 
or higher up into secondary pinnae. Pinnules very numerous, on 
short petiolules, obliquely ovate-rhomboid, three to eight lines long 
