Studies on Pacific Ferns, Part III 
The Lindsaeoid Ferns 
G. Brownlie 1 
The present study arose from the fact that 
the genus Lindsaea has proved of particular 
interest from a cyto-taxonomic viewpoint, and, 
as the author hopes to deal with some of these 
ferns in the Pacific islands from that aspect, he 
took the opportunity of a period spent at the 
Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 
to examine the collections located there. It 
quickly became evident that the species of 
lindsaeoid ferns, particularly those of New 
Caledonia, were poorly understood. There was 
not sufficient time and, in some cases, not suf- 
ficient material to completely clear up all doubt- 
ful aspects, but it is hoped that the present paper 
will go some distance towards clarifying the 
situation. To accomplish the task fully for the 
Pacific and neighbouring regions would require 
a work almost as large as the excellent revision 
of Lindsaea in the New World by Kramer 
(Acta Bot. Neerlandica 6, 97-290, 1957). 
Taxonomically, the lindsaeoid ferns have 
proved a difficult group almost everywhere, and 
this is especially apparent in New Caledonia 
where both specific and generic distinctions are 
extremely doubtful. It is possible that they are 
a very old group whose close relationships are 
more apparent than real. This possibility has 
already been indicated by the limited cytological 
work published to date. 
Acknowledgments . I wish to thank Mr. F. 
Ballard of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, for 
his assistance, and I record my appreciation of 
the help given by the late Mr. A. H. G. Alston 
in connection with photographs of type material 
in Berlin herbaria. I also acknowledge the leave 
granted me by the Council of the University of 
Canterbury, during which this research was un- 
dertaken. 
1 Department of Botany, University of Canterbury, 
Christchurch, New Zealand. Manuscript received June 
22, 1959. 
Lindsaea dimorpha Bailey. 
Lindsaea dimorpha Bailey. Handbook, Queens- 
land Ferns 19, 1874. 
L. anogrammoides C. Chr. Viert. Nat. Ges. 
Zurich 70, 223, 1925. 
Christensen himself suggested that these two 
were closely related, and comparison of his type 
with Australian material shows that there is 
nothing to distinguish the New Caledonian 
specimen. It should consequently be recognized 
as L. dimorpha. 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: Franc 1308 in Herb. 
C. Chr. (Christensen’s type; B. M.), Bailey un- 
numbered (Kew). 
Lindsaea lapeyrousii ( Hk. ) Bak. 
Davallia lapeyrousii Hk. 2nd. Cent. f. 56, 
1861. 
Lindsaea lapeyrousii (Hk.) Bak. Syn. Fil. 
106, 1874. 
L. kajewskii Copel. Journ. Arnold Arb. 12, 
48,1931. 
In describing L. kajewskii , Copeland suggested 
that it was possibly related to L. lapeyrousii, but 
he apparently did not see Hooker’s type speci- 
men. Almost all recent collections of L. lapeyrou- 
sii have come from Fiji, where it is not uncom- 
mon, whereas Kajewski’s specimen was obtained 
from Vanikoro Island in the Santa Cruz group. 
Hooker’s type has, however, the locality given 
as "Vanicolla Island,” which appears to be 
nothing more than an older rendering of Vani- 
koro, so that both specimens originated from the 
same island. The lack of subsequent material 
can be due only to the infrequency of collecting 
there. Copeland’s paper gives the collection 
number as Kajewski 523, whereas a Kajewski 
specimen from Vanikoro at Kew inscribed 
"Lindsaea kajewskii n. sp.” is numbered 533. 
The director of the Arnold Arboretum has 
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