142 
New Zealand Ferns 
After making several long and fruitless journeys in 
search of a young plant for my fernery, I discovered a 
seedling growing on a wall in my garden. It afforded 
me continual interest to watch its rapid development 
when moved to a suitable site. After sending up a few 
small fronds it became firmly established, putting out 
strong roots as thick as my finger and covered with 
dark-brown hairs, which crept boldly over the surface 
of the ground, each being preceded by a blunt foot of a 
lovely pellucid green thickly coated with white hairs. 
The growing end gradually widened and eventually 
divided, one part continuing to creep over the ground, 
the other rising in the form of a circular crook, of a 
pure indescribable green, softened by the clothing of 
white hairs, which were not thick enough to conceal the 
symmetrical outline. In a few days the handsome un- 
folding crozier stood majestically on a tall green column, 
the folded leaves packed so closely as to resemble a 
tightly-clenched fist. Then it divided and sent out two 
lateral crooks, which gradually disclosed their hidden 
treasures. 
Within six months of planting out the seedling of 
H. tcnuifolia, it had developed into a robust plant with 
strong roots radiating in all directions, great branching 
fronds nearly 6 feet long and 5 feet wide, of a soft ten- 
der green, yielding to the touch, and the seeds fully 
developed. 
It is a most variable fern ; in habit and general appear- 
ance very close to Polypodium punctatum. The partial 
seed covering is sometimes so feebly developed that the 
technical distinction separating Hypolcpis from Poly- 
podium is obliterated. It can usually be distinguished 
