THE FERN WORLD OF AUSTRALIA. 
15 
Asplenium australe. Is a similar plant but may be dis- 
tinguished by its more delicate leaves, smaller rootstock, and by 
the stalks being generally darker colored. Both are met with in 
the dense scrubs of Queensland, N. S. Wales, Victoria and 
Tasmania. 
Asplenium decussatum. Stem short erect leaves broad often 
bearing bulbs (gemmje) on the midrib. Eockingham Bay, 
Daintree River, &c., Queensland. 
Aspidium pteroides. A tall handsome leaved fern with run- 
ning underground stem, leaves with many long spreading leaflets. 
Seed patches near the edge covered by a thin kidney-shaped skin. 
Found in scrubs Rockingham Bay, and at foot of range Smithfield 
Barron River, Trinity Bay, Queensland. 
Aspidium confluens. Stem short erect crowned by many broad 
leaves deeply lobed, on long dark colored stalks. This is one of 
the most showy ferns of our north Queensland scrubs, plentiful at 
Rockingham Bay and Trinity Bay Ranges,' Johnstone and 
Daintree Rivers. 
Aspidium aculeatum. A coarse leaved, often densely scally, 
fern. Found at head of Dalrymple Creek, South Queensland and in 
many parts of N". S. Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. 
Aspidium aristatum. Stem creeping, leaves glossy, stalks hairy 
at the base, edge of leaf bordered by teeth ending in bristle-Hke 
points. Found in a few places in Queensland and ISF. S. Wales. 
Aspidium decompositum, A most variable fern, both hairy and 
not hairy. The scale covering the seed-patches at times large and 
prominent, but on some plants quite small. The whole plant 
usually of a dark color. Found in most of the Queensland scrubs, 
in N. S. Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and also S outh Australia. 
Aspidium tenerum. A very handsome a nd distinct kind, but 
at times may be mistaken for the last, the leaves being similarly 
divided into many parts, but the seed-patches will be observed to be 
placed very near to the margin. Found in scrubs from Moreton 
to Keppel Bays in Queensland, and in several of the northern 
scrubs of N. S Wales. 
Aspidium tenericaule, Thw. Rootstock stout thick, very shortly 
creeping, covered with soft scale s. Leaves tall of dehcate texture, 
stalks thick light colored also very scally while young. This fine 
fern should rather be placed under the genus Polypodium. Found 
in Three-mile scrub near Brisbane, in some of the tropical scrubs of 
Queensland, and also the Clarence River, N. S. Wales. 
Polypodium urophyllum. Stem running underground sending 
up at distant intervals tall pinnate leaves, bearing leaflets, at times 
nearly a foot in length, having very regular veins joined to each 
other by their ends, seed-patches round in regular rows. Found in 
mountain scrubs of tropical Queensland. 
Polypodium Hillii. A very handsome and rare fern, leaves 
large tall densely covered with short soft hairs. Found near 
Cleveland Bay, Queensland. 
