298 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, April 1961 
what smaller than those from the Austral Is- 
lands and New Zealand, but they have the char- 
acteristic single row of elongated marginal cells. 
The species is found in New Zealand, the Ker- 
madecs, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, the Australs, and 
Rapa. 
Lintott 155 (C). 
PTERIDACEAE 
Adiantum hispidulum Sw. 
In isolated clumps on dry slopes and in rocky 
crevices. All examples are considerably smaller 
than those seen from the larger Pacific islands. 
The species is widely distributed in the tropics 
and subtropics from Africa to Polynesia and 
south to New Zealand. 
Lintott 152, 152b (C), Twyford S.P. 51 (S), 
St.John 15031 (K). 
CYATHEACEAE 
Cyathea cumingii Bak. 
Tree fern up to 10 ft. high, occurring in sev- 
eral places on the island. Elsewhere known only 
from the Australs, but C. rapensis and C. so- 
cietarum are very similar, if not identical. 
Lintott 165 (C), Williams 3010, 3011 (W), 
Twyford S.P. 132 (S), Quayle No. 1 (K), 
Cuming 1393 (K) , Matthews No. 7 (K) , Fos- 
berg 11241 (K), St. John 14978 (K). 
DAVALLIACEAE 
Davallia solida (Forst.) Sw. 
Common everywhere, creeping on the ground 
and as an epiphyte on old trees. Four local 
forms have been recognized in S.E. Polynesia 
by Brown (1931), but the species is every- 
where somewhat variable in degree of division 
of the fronds and in shape of the indusia. It is 
distributed from Burma to Pitcairn. 
Lintott 162 (C), Williams 3013, 3052 (W), 
Twyford S.P. 133, 134 (S), Quayle No. X (K), 
St. John 15048 (K). 
Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott 
Common throughout the island underneath 
Pandanus. Christensen ( 1943 ) regards the Poly- 
nesian-Asiatic forms as probably distinct from 
genuine African N. biserrata, but until a com- 
plete revision of the genus has been carried out 
it is preferable to retain the well-known name. 
The distribution of the species in its widest 
sense is pantropic. 
Lintott 158 (C), Williams 3074, 3079 (W), 
Twyford S.P. 59 (S), Quayle No. 1 (K). 
Nephrolepis hirsutula (Forst.) P'r. 
Fairly common, particularly around clearings. 
Very variable in all its characters, often ap- 
proaching close to N. biserrata, although it is 
usually smaller than that species. Distributed 
from tropical Asia to Pitcairn. 
Lintott 169 (C), Williams 3051, 3078 (W), 
Twyford S.P. 136 (S). 
ASPIDIACEAE 
Thelypteris uliginosa (Kze.) Ching 
Dry op ter is setigera (BL) Kze. Brown, B.P. 
Bishop Mus. Bull. 89, 30, 1931. 
On cleared banks along shady tracks. I have 
seen no fertile specimens of this fern from Pit- 
cairn, and it appears to be relatively uncommon. 
The species is widespread in the tropics and 
subtropics from Asia through the Pacific to 
Pitcairn. 
Lintott 168 (C), Twyford S.P. 131 (S) . 
Rumohra aristata (Forst.) Ching 
Polystichum aristatum (Forst.) Pr. Brown, 
B.P. Bishop Mus. Bull. 89, 38, 1931. 
Copeland, Occ. Pap. B.P. Bishop Mus. 14(5) : 
'57, 1938. 
Forming small patches under trees on hill- 
side ridge of Adamstown. Brown was in error 
in comparing specimens of this fern from Rapa 
with New Zealand forms, for, although found 
in the Kermadecs, it does not occur on the 
mainland of New Zealand. Distribution is 
throughout the tropics and subtropics of the 
Old World. 
Lintott 154 (C), Quayle No. X (K), St. 
John 14969 (K). 
