50 
New Zealand Ferns 
(13) H. Malingii (Mr. Maling). A most curious 
little mountain fern of an opaque, slate-green colour on 
the upper and reddish-brown on the under side. The 
fronds, when examined closely, appear to be built up of 
innumerable short pieces of brown cord, generally ter- 
minated by a knob. The leaflets are not flat, the cross- 
section being round. 
Description . — Roots slender, creeping. Stalks 1 to 3 inches 
long, very slight, almost thread-like. Fronds 2 to 8 inches or 
even 20 inches long by Jfin. to \\ inches broad, erect or pendu- 
lous, opaque, rigid, slate-green, covered densely everywhere with 
small hairs. Seeds small, terminating the leaflets like little knobs. 
North Island: Te Aroha, Mount Egmont, Ruahine Moun- 
tains, Ruapehu. South Island: Mountains Nelson, Westland, 
Otago, Banks Peninsula. 
A rare fern, found sparingly on the mountains of 
both islands, though fairly abundant in the Libocedrus 
forests near Waimarino; almost confined to the kawaka 
trees. Named after its first discoverer, Mr. Maling, a 
surveyor, who was killed at the Wairau massacre. It is 
confined to New Zealand. 
