22 
THE FERN WORLD OF AUSTRALIA. 
and of a darker color. The veins are forked from a central costa, 
venules anastomosing in unequal oblique-elongated, hexagonal 
areoles. Sori in spike along edge of pinnule. Found on York 
Peninsula, Daintree Eiver, Kockingiiam Bay, Trinity Bay 
Range, &c. 
Lygodium japonieum, Swartz. Habit of plant similar to L. 
scandens having the same form of climbing rhachis mid conjugate 
branches on short primary petioles, but the pinnules are much longer 
and not articulated, the lower ones often pinnate, veins free. Sori 
forming short linear marginal lobes as in the other species. This 
species is very plentiful along the banks of rivers in tropical 
Australia, and perhaps is found further inland than the other 
species of the genus ; to those pteridologists who look to the 
venation as a primary characteristic in classification, it will seem 
out of place to find a fern with anastomosing veins placed between 
two free veined species. But in the Flora Australiensis greater 
importance seems to be attached to the articulation of the petiolule 
than venation of the pinnule. 
V. — ScHiz^A, Sm. 
Rhizome eaespitose. Fronds erect, linear, terete, simple or 
dichotomously forked. Sori forming small linear pinnules, closely 
imbricate in a second spike at the end of the fertile segments, 
those of the two sides folded against each other with the fructifica- 
tion inside. Spore-cases globular or bluntly ovate having a many- 
rayed apical ring, opening in two valves, sessile in two rows 
covering the inner surface of the pinnule which is really their under 
side, though from the curvature of the spike it appears to be the 
upper side. Name from schizo,.to divide ; from its split fronds. 
S. fistulosa, Labill. Fronds densely tufted, four to eight inches 
high terete, undivided rough, spikes of the fertile ones about half 
inch long, with six to twenty pair of oblong soriferous pinnules 
scarcely more than a line long denticulate or shortly fringed, spore- 
cases usually four to eight pair in each sorus. Found in heathy 
places in Gipps-land and other parts of Victoria, also in many 
places in Tasmania. 
S. bifida, Swartz. Fronds densely tufted, terete six to eighteen 
high, once forked at or about the middle or undivided, stipes often 
chestnut brown. Spike of the fertile ones half to three-quarter 
inches long the soriferous pinnules numerous and closely packed, 
narrow-linear, three to four hues long fringed with cilia, spore-cases 
often twenty pair much smaller than in S. fistulosa. Found in 
North Australia, very common throughout Queensland on dry 
forest land, plentiful in all parts of N. S. Wales, it is also met 
with in Victoria and Tasmania. 
S. mpestris, R. Br. Fronds about four inches high, undivided, 
flattened about a line broad tapering to a short filiform stipes. 
Fertile spike under half inch long, the soriferous pinnules six to 
