318 
New Zealand Ferns 
(130) P. serpens (creeping). A small climbing 
species, with very thick leaves, whitish or buff-coloured 
underneath, growing on rocks, trees, and old walls. 
Description . — Root long, creeping, branched, climbing up the 
trunks of trees or over rocks, thickly clothed with brown scales. 
Stalks distant from each other, pn. to 3 inches long, firm, erect, 
jointed to the root. Fertile fronds 2 to 6 inches long by -gin. to 
4 -in. broad, dark-green or yellow-green, densely clothed beneath 
with whitish or buff-coloured scales almost concealing the seeds. 
Barren fronds variable in size and shape, 1 to 3 or even 4 inches 
long by ^in. to 1 inch broad, sometimes nearly round. Seeds very 
copious, irregularly scattered, prominent, often confined to the 
upper part of the frond. 
Abundant throughout the Dominion. Sea-level to 3,500 feet. 
A species that does not disappear before settlement; it 
has already taken possession of introduced trees and 
stone walls. It grows on the trees in my garden, having- 
entered without the formality of an introduction. In- 
deed, it is somewhat of an importunate guest, almost as 
ubiquitous as the sparrow. The only trees which seem 
to escape this pushing visitor are the Californian red- 
wood and the gums. It is already quite at home on the 
oak, the macrocarpa, and the Norfolk Island pine. 
Plentiful in Eastern Australia; found also in Norfolk 
Island, and several of the Pacific Islands. 
