A \’cry large genus of Ferus, found in all parts of the globe, and of which the speeies are verj' widely distributed
and variable.—ProsiTs (in the Tasmanian species) bi-tripinnate, coriaceous, lobed, semte, or spinulose, Sori
round, placed on the middle of the veins at the back of the pinnules, remote from tlie margin. Involucre orbicular,
peltately attached by a sliort stalk to the centre of the sorus, its edges free all round. (Name from woXw,
many, and otij(os, a row ; from the mimerons sori.)
1. P o ly stich um coriaceum (Schott, Gen. Fil.) ; rhizomate elongato repente squamato, fronde pinnata
V. bipinnata coriácea ovato-oblonga deltoidea, pinnis superioribus crenatis inferioribus pinnatifido-
lobatis obtusis integerrimis crenatisve, rachi squamosa, stipite paleaceo.— PA N . Zeal. i. 37. Aspidium
coriaceum, Br. Prodr. 147 ; Schkuhr, Fil. A 5 0 ; Eid L Prodr. Fl. Ins. Noif. 8 . A. Cunninghamianum,
Col. in Tasm. Phil. Joum. [Gunn, 9, 1516.)
H a b . Not uncommon in forests, etc. : St. Patrick’s River, Gunn ; sides of Mount Wellington, J. D. II.
{v. Î/.)
D is t r ib . Throughout the tropics and south-temperate regions o f the globe. (Cultivated in England.)
This plant varies a good deal in stature aud amount of division of the fronds, number, distance, and length of
the pinna?; tlie fronds are always extremely coriaceous, and pale-brown when Axy.— Rhizome stout, creeping,
clothed wit]) large membranous scales. Frond 6-24 inches high, veiy firm and thick in texture, ovate, deltoid or
oblong-lanceolate, pinnate or bipinnate. Pinnules stalked, ovate or linear-oblong, entire or lobed ; lobes rounded,
quite entire or crenate. Soi-i large, brown or black. Rachis generally with spreading, seale-like hairs. Stipes
stout, covered with scattered large paleæ, rarely naked,
2. Polystich um v estitum (Presl, Pterid. 8 3); frondibus coriaceis bipinnatis (interdum proliferis),
pinnis lineari-lanceolatis, pinnulis brevi-stipitatis oblique ovato-oblongis glabris mucronatis integris crenatis
V. argute inciso-dentatis inferioribus nunc basi pinnatifidis, lobulo antico dilatato, stipite rachique villoso
paleisque latis castaueis deciduis onusto, rhizomate et basi stipitis squamis magnis densissime tectis.—
Fl. N . Zeal. ii. 8 8 . Aspidium vestitum, IFilld. Sp. PI. ; Schkuhr, Fil. t. 43. A. proliferum, Br. Prodr.
147. A. pulcherrimum et A. Waikarense, CoA in Tasm. Phil. Journ. A. venustum, Homb. et Jacq. Foy.
au Pole Sud, t. 5 ; Fl. Antarct.p. 107. An Polytricbum aculeatum, Roth? [Gunn, 7, 1517.)
H a b . Abundant in subalpine situations, as on Mount Wellington, from 3000 feet to the summit.__
[v. V.)
D is t u ib . South-eastern Australia, New Zealand, Malay Islands, extratropical South America. (Cultivated
in England.)
A very handsome and variable Fern. Mr. Brown’s A. proliferum, founded on a proliferous plant, supposed
both by Mr. Brown and myself (see ‘ Flora Antarctica ’) to want the broad scales, is the same as this ; for Mr. Gunn
has sent specimens of it equally possessing the scales in a young state, and the P. vestitum is often proliferous in
New Zealand. In Lord Auckland’s Group it beeomes subarboreous, having a stout caudex 2-4 feet high. Fronds
verj- numerous, spreading like a crown from a stout rliizome, 1-3 feet high, rigid, coriaceous, linear or ovate-oblong,
bipinnate. Pinna Hnearelanceolate, acuminate. Pinnules numerous, shortly stipitate, ovate-oblong, entire, shai-ply
toothed or almost pinnatifid, the lobes often pungent; the lower outer margin produced into a short, broad,
blunt auricle. Rachis woolly, aud as well as the stipes covered with large, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, membranous
scales, that are often lacerated, and are deep brown ; those at the base of the stipes of large specimens have a white
margin, and are very densely set, an ineh long, and curved.
Gen. XYI. NEPHRODIUM, Br.
Sori globosi, dorsales, medio v. ad apicem venularum inserti. Involucrum reniforme, sinu affixum.
A large genus of Feras, natives of both hot and cold climates, chiefly distinguished from Polystichum by the
involucre being reniform and attaclied by the sinus, and not orbicular or peltately attached. (Name from ved/poç,
a kidney ; in allusion to the form of the involuci'e.)
1. Wephrodium decompositum (Br. Prodr. 149) ; frondibus glabris puberulis vel pubescentibus
ovatis V. deltoideis bi-tri-quadripinnatis membranaceis, pinnulis decurrenti-coadunatis ovato- v. oblongo-
lanceolatis inciso-lobatis pinnatifidisve, lobulis dentatis acutis obtusisve, rachibus tenuiter marginatis, stipite
gracili basi nudo.— FA N. Zeal. ii.p . 39. A 79. (Gunn, 53.)
H a b . Wood.s near Hobarton.— {v.v.)
D i s t r ib . South-eastern Australia, New Zealand. (Cultivated in England.)
A c ommon a n d v e iy v a riab le plmt.—Frond a sp a n to 3 fee t h ig h , o v a te-la iic eo la te , b ro ad ly o v a te, o r d e lto id ,
sometim es p cn tag o iio u s from th e first d iv is io n o f th e low e st b ran c h b e in g e lo n g a te d , tr i-q u a d iip in n a te o r b ip in n a te
o n ly , q u ite sm o o th o r mo re o r less d owny, som e tim es co vered w ith re sin o u s, g la n d u la r p o in ts . Pinna o ften e lo n g
a te a n d ev en c au d a te , esp ec ially in T a sm an ia . Pinnules sma ll, de cm'ren t, o b lo n g o r o v a to -lan c co la te , p in n a tifid ,
lo b e d o r to o th e d ; d iv is io n s v c iy sh a rp o r b lim t. Sori sma ll, n um e ro u s , pla ced o n th e m id d le o f a v en ule. Involucre
g la b ro u s o r h a iry . Rachis w ith a very naiTow w in g o r m a rg in , o r n a k ed , sm o o th o r p u b e sc e n t, as is th e
stipes, wh ich is slen d er, a n d b e a rs a t th e cmwed b a se a few sh o r t chaft'y scales.
Sub-tribe B.—Sorus naked, neither covered by an involucre, nor by the injlexed margin o f the frond.
Gen. XVIT. POLYPODIUM, Presl.
Sori globosi, dorsales, nudi, medio venularum inserti. Vena furcatæ, nunquam anastomosantes.—
Fronspinnatifida v. bi-tripinnata.
An extensive geuus, priucipally of temperate and tropical Ferns, which may be readily characterized by liaving
round, naked sori, placed on the middle of forked, free veinlets. One of the Tasmanian species (P. rugulosum)
appears to me to pass into Uypolepis tenuifolia, the sori sometimes approaching the margin of the lobes, and the
latter becoming more or less recurved. The other species totally differs in habit and appearance from the above.
(Name from woXvî, many, and wovv, a foot ; iu allusion to the habit of some Fern to whicli the name was applied
by the ancieuts.)
1. Polypodiura rugulosum (Lab. Fl. Nov. HoU. ii. p. 92. t. 24 1 ); rliizomatc repente, fronde
viscido-puberula v. glandulosa bi-quadripiiinata ovato- v. deltoideo-lanceolata, pinnis lanceolatis acuminatis
submembranaceis coriaceisve, pinnulis lineari-oblongis obtusis profunde pinnatifidis, lobis obtusis
crenatis, stipite rachique castaneis (rarius pallidis) scaberulis hispidulis asperisve.—Br. Prodr. 147 ; Fl.
N. Zeal. iv. 41. P. viscidum, Spr. Syst. Veg. i \ .p . 6 1 ; Fl. Antarct. p . 110. P. villoso-viscidum, Peiii-
Thiouars, Fl. Trisl. d’Acun.; Col. in Tasm. Phil. Journ. Cheilanthes viscosa, Carm. Fl. Trist. d’Acun. in
Linn. Soc. Trans, xii.ju. 511. {Gunn, 17.)
H a b . Abundant in damp and rather dry woods.— {v. v.)
D is t k ib . Common in the subtropical and temperate regions of the southern hemisphere. (Cultivated
ill England.)
Whole plaut move or less covered with rafous glandular pubescence, a span to 3 feet high.'—Frond bi-lri-
qnadripinnate, broadly deltoid or ovate-lanceolate, more or less membranous, rarely coriaceous. Pinna veiy variable
in length, lanceolate, aciuuinate. Pinnules adnate by a broad base, linear-obloiig, blunt, deeply pinnatifid ;
lobes entire or cienate, blunt. Sori on the middle of a veinlet. Stiyies and rachis generally dark-brown, slender,
scabrid, sometimes muricated, often hispid with scattered liairs, rarely glabrous. Rhizome rigid, woody, creeping,
scaly and hispid, sending up distant fronds.—I have found it quite impossible to give distinctive characters to the
numerous varieties of tliis very common plant. Mueller’s P. Kippisiianum appeal's to be a more glabrous state,
found in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania.
VOL. I I . 2 Q •