THE FERN WORLD OP AUSTRALIA. 
21 
clusters of spore-cases around its stalk. Name derived from two 
Greek words on account of the fertile portion of frond being supposed 
to resemble a worm. 
H. zeylanica, Hook. A fern common to the swamps of Northern 
Queensland, rootstock or rhizome thick horizontal one to six inches 
long, sending out thick hard fibres from the under surface ; frond 
one to two feet high of two parts, the erect fertile portion stalked 
spike-like, often wanting ; barren portion broad stalkless spreading 
divided mostly into three parts which are often again divided into 
long segments three to six inches long, half-inch to one-inch broad, 
these segments are at times slightly toothed (denticulated) ; veins 
simple or forked, diverging from the mid-rib. This plant in tlie 
Moluccas is regarded as a slight aperient, is used as a pot herb, the 
young shoots resembling asparagus. 
Tribe IL — Makattie/e. The young growth rolled inwards 
(circinate) thus differing from Tribe I, but, Hke that tribe, having 
no jointed ring to the spore or seed cases ; opening in two valves 
or in a longitudinal slit, sessile or united, in two rows ; in the sori 
forming marginal lobes to the segments, or placed on their under 
surface. 
IV. — Lygodium, Swartz. Snake's Tongue. 
Beautiful climbing ferns, often met with along the edge of rivers 
and swamps, covering the shrubs and climbing to a great heigiit 
up the surrounding trees by their twining stems or rather branched 
fronds, which bear pinnate (in the Austrahan species) branches in 
divaricate pairs. Pinnules of the barren portion from ovate to 
lanceolate ; spore cases globular or transversely oblong, with longi- 
tudinal stri^ at the upper end, opening in a longitudinal slip, 
sessile in two rows. Sori forming spike-like lobes on the border of 
pinnule, spore cases solitary within a scale. Name from Lygodes, 
flexible. 
L scandens, Swartz. Climbing Snake fern. Ehizome ca^spitose 
branches of frond conjugate, pinnate, pinnules few or many, varying 
in form from nearly heart shaped (cordate) to almost hastate, 
sometimes slightely lobed at the base ; articulated on a short 
petiolule at the base of the lamina the petiolule remaining persistent 
on the rhachis after the pinnule has fallen. Veins free, forked free 
radicating, the central more or less costas form. Sori in spikes 
around the edge of pinnules which are in other respects similar to 
the barren ones, spore-cases various in number on the same 
specimen. Common in or around swamps within a few miles of 
the coast, from the Tweed Eiver to Port Darwin. 
Lygodium reticulatum Schkuhr. Scrub Snake fern. Habit of 
plant similar to last but habitat very dilferent, this species being 
usually found in the dense scrubs of tropical Australia climbimg 
high up the tall trees like L. scandens, the pinnules are artic^^lated 
upon the petiolule but they are usually much larger, more rigid^ 
