138 
New Zealand Ferns 
(53) A. fulvum (tawny). The written description of 
this species differs but little from A. affine, yet a glance 
at the illustration shows a marked divergence. The 
fronds are a darker green, the under surface is not sea- 
green, the leaflets are narrower and more pointed, the 
stalks are rougher, and the whole frond more symmetri- 
cal. 
The roughened stalk and the presence of tawny hairs 
upon the midribs distinguish this species most certainly 
from A. affine, but their detection requires the aid of a 
lens. 
Description . — Root long, creeping, clothed with brown scales. 
Stalk 4 to 12 inches long, erect, dark reddish-brown or almost 
black, rough to the touch, scaly at the base. Fronds 6 to 15 inches 
long by 3 to 9 inches broad, olive-green or pale-green, not sea- 
green below. Midribs more or less covered with stiff tawny hairs. 
Seeds usually numerous, in shallow notches on the upper mar- 
gins of the leaflets. 
North and South Islands : Lowland districts as far south as 
Banks Peninsula, not uncommon. 
This species is connected by intermediate forms with 
A. affine. It is found also in Norfolk Island, New South 
Wales, and Fiji. 
