New Zealand Ferns. 
379 
of its fronds. Viewed through a microscope, the cellular 
tissue, pores, and branched hairs of the frond, present a 
most splendid appearance. It has been named after 
Lady Franklin by the discoverer, in commemoration of 
her recent visit, and of the patronage afforded by her 
Ladyship to the different departments of Natural Science. 
The hairs , as shown in the annexed drawing, are 
magnified. 
Genus , ASPIDIUM. Swartz . 
Gen. Char. Sori subrotundi sparsi. Indusia , solitaria 
orbiculata, medio vel latere affixa. Spreng . 
6. Aspidium Cunninghamii. Frond, pendulous, trian¬ 
gular, caudate, bipinnate, coriaceous, glabrous, light 
green; length, 14 inches, breadth, at base, 2 inches: 
midrib , margined towards apex and scaled: pinnules, 
alternate, lowermost sub-opposite, distant, petiolate, 
somewhat falcate, caudate, acute; upper ones pinnatifid : 
petioles , margined and scaled, scales very long: leaflets , 
sub-opposite, not crowded, falcate, sessile; lower ones, 
petiolate, pinnatifid, rhombic, bi- tri- and quadrifid and 
obtuse : sori , at extremity of smallest veins, semi-sphse- 
roidal, much raised : indusium , peltate : capsules , numer¬ 
ous ; stipe, 12—14 inches long, channelled, smooth, 
brittle and scaled; scales long; colour yellow-brown ; 
very distant from each other on rhachis: rhachis , and 
base of stipe, densely fimbriated ; scales light brown. 
llab. Climbing living trees, in the dense forests near 
Ruatahuna, a village in the interior of the North Island, 
about five days’ journey from the Bay of Plenty. January, 
1842. 
Obs. This climbing fern, by far the largest yet seen in 
New Zealand (some fronds measuring, including stipe, 
near 3 feet in length), has been named by the discoverer 
in memory of the indefatigable botanist, his much 
lamented friend, the late Allan Cunningham, Esq. 
