356 
New Zealand Ferns 
(147) S. bifida (two-lobed). A quaint-looking little 
plant, usually forked, sometimes twice ; the tuft of seeds 
shorter and broader than in 6'. fistulosa. 
Description . — Root very short, stout, creeping. Fronds close 
together along the root, not distinct from the stalks, 6 to 12 inches 
high or more, about 1 -30th inch diameter, rigid, erect, wiry, more 
or less rough, usually forked at or below the middle, rarely un- 
divided, the branches sometimes forked a second time. Seed tufts 
Jin. to fin. long by Jin to Jin. broad. 
North Island : On sterile clay or pumice soils from the North 
Cape to Cook Strait, but often local. South Island: Takaka and 
Paramahoi, Nelson. Sea-level to 2,000 feet. 
Unbranched specimens are best distinguished from S. 
fistulosa by the rough feel of the stalks and the broader 
seed tuft. It is found also in Australia and Tasmania. 
