January, 1939 The Queensland Naturalist 
25 
Plants erect, robust; fronds broadly 
elliptic or oblong-lanceolate; 
texture coriaceous; fronds pin- 
nate only at base. 
Middle pinnae 3 cm. long, rarely 
longer, obtuse or shortly acu- 
minate 5. media 
Middle pinnae 5-8 cm. long, long- 
acuminate 5. var. Moor ex 
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIES 
1. D. aspera R. Br. Prodr. 151 (1810) ; Queens. FI. VI. r 
1967 (1902). 
Stipes robust, scabrous, about 4-12 cm. long, clothed 
especially at the base with blackish narrow scales; fronds 
coriaceous, without the stipes averaging 20-35 cm. long 
and about 4-10 cm. broad in the middle, elliptic-oblong 
or lanceolate in outline, pinnatifid almost to the rhachis 
into numerous segments, the rhachis very scabrous and 
clothed with a few short blackish scales; segments con- 
fluent, adnate to the rhachis by their broad bases, linear- 
lanceolate, obtuse or subacute, falcate, longest in the 
middle of the frond and decreasing gradually towards 
each end, the basal ones forming very short, triangular 
wing-like lobes to the rhachis; occasionally an elongated 
free pair of pinnae is developed at the base; margins all 
spinulose-serrate ; sori oblong, in 1 or 2 rows on each side 
of the costa between the midrib and margin. 
A very robust form of this species common at the 
head of Dalrymple Creek and on the Mistake Plateau has 
fronds 26 cm. broad in the middle, although not more 
than average length. 
Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Vic- 
toria and Norfolk Island. In Queensland this species is 
widespread in the southern part of the State, rare in the 
tropical north-eastern portion. 
Domin (Bib. Bot. 85, p. 121, 1915) described the 
var. angustifrons from Tambourine Mountain. This 
differs essentially from the typical form mainly in its 
smaller size, and it is doubtful whether it is worthy of 
varietal rank. 
2. D. heterophylla Domin in Bib. Bot. 85, p. 121, 1915. 
D. aspera R. Br. var. heterophylla F.M. Bail. Fern 
World Austr. 51 (1881), Queensl. FI. VI., 1967 
(1902). 
