North and South Islands: Open rocky places from the Bay of Islands to Otago, not uncommon. Sea-level to 2000 ft.

Also in temperate Australia and Tasmania. Sometimes the upper pinnæ are produced into naked tips which, root like the apex of the frond. This state has been described by Mr. Colenso as var. ramosum (Trans. N.Z. Inst. xx. 228).

North Island: Hawke's Bay—Kaimanawa Mountains, Captain G. Mair! Petane, A. Hamilton! Puketapu, Colenso! Taranaki —Mount Egmont, T. F. C. Wellington—Tararua Range, Buchanan. South Island: Not uncommon in mountainous localities throughout. Sea-level to 4000 ft.

Widely distributed in the temperate regions of both hemisphere and on high mountains in the tropics.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands: From the North Cape southwards, not uncommon in woods, often pendulous from trees. Sea-level to 2000 ft.

Also abundant in many parts of tropical Asia and Africa, the Pacific islands, and Australia. Very variable in the size and shape of the pinnæ, and the extent to which they are lobed and cut.

Kermadec Islands: Sunday Island, not uncommon, MacGillivray, T.F. C.

A widely spread plant, found in most tropical regions. Doubtfully distinct from A. falcatum, from which it chiefly differs in the narrower and more caudate Pinnæ and shorter sori.

Kermadec Islands: Abundant on maritime rocks, MacGillivray, T. F. C., Miss Shakespear! North and South Islands: On maritime rocks and outlying islands from the Three Kings Islands and the North Cape to Foveaux. Strait, but often local or absent from wide stretches of the coast. Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island: Apparently not uncommon near the sea.

A. obtusatum is here restricted to Forster's original plant, which appears to-be purely littoral. It has a wide range outside New Zealand, being found in Australia and Tasmania, several of the Pacific islands, Juan Fernandez, the coasts of extra-tropical South America, Tristan d'Acunha, and Possession Island.

Var. obliquum, Moore, Ind. Fil. 142.—Fronds smaller and more coriaceous, 12–18 in. long. Pinnæ more closely placed, 1–3 in. long, oblong-lanceolate, acute but not acuminate. Sori shorter. Approaches A. obtusatum.—A. obliquum, Forst. Prodr. n. 429. A. apice-dentatum, Homb. and Jacq. Voy. au Pôle Sud, Crypt, t. 1A, and A. obtusatum, t. 1B, large specimen. A. obtusatum var. obliquum, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 108; Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 33; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 371; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 96; Hook, and Bak. Syn. Fil. 207.

Var. scleroprium, Moore, Ind. Fil. 142.—Fronds fleshy and coriaceous, 12–18 in. high or more. Pinnæ closely placed, 2–4 in. long, about ½ in. broad, linear-lanceolate, caudate-acuminate, closely and deeply serrate or pinnatifid, sometimes more than half-way down to the midrib. Sori linear, extending into the segments or teeth, and marginal to them. A transition form to A. flaccidum. —A. scleroprium, Homb. and Jacq. Voy. au Pôle Sud, Crypt, t. 1d; Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 109; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 371; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 97. A. flaccidum var. aucklandicum, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 109.

Var. Lyallii, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 33, t. 77.—Size and habit of the type; but the inferior pinnæ lanceolate-deltoid, cut down to the rhachis in the lower part into distinctly stipitate pinnules; intermediate pinnæ more or less deeply lobed, especially on the upper margin, lobes crenate.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 371; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 99. A. Lyallii, Moore, Ind. Fil. 143.

Var. anomodum, Cheesem.—Fronds small, 2–12 in. long including the stipes, pale-green, almost membranous or coriaceous, more or less paleaceous beneath. Pinnæ 3–8 pairs with a large terminal one, ½–2 in. long, oblong-lanceolate to oblong or oblong-ovate or broadly ovate, obtuse or acute, crenate, or the lower ones more or less deeply pinnatifid with the segments crenate. Sori short, linear-oblong.—A. anomodum, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xv. (1883) 309.

Kermadec Islands, North and South Islands, Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands, Antipodes Island: The typical form widely distributed in lowland districts as far south as Stewart Island. Var. obliquum from the North Cape to Campbell Island. Var. scleroprium: Herekopere Island (near Stewart Island), Kirk! Auckland and Campbell Islands, plentiful, Hombron and Jacquinot, Hooker! Kirk! Var. Lyallii: In various localities from the Bay of Islands (Miss Clarke!) to Otago, but rare and local, and always in small quantity. Chatham Islands, Field, Miss Seddon! Var. anomodum: Usually in limestone districts. Hawke's Bay—Petane, A. Hamilton! Te Aute, C. P. Winkelmann! Norsewood, Colenso! Takapau, J. Stewart. Nelson—Wangapeka Valley and Mount Arthur Plateau, ascending to nearly 4000 ft., T. F. C.

In the "Synopsis Filicum" A. lucidum, together with A. obliquum, is reduced to the position of a variety of A. obtusatum. This view has since been accepted by most pteridologists, mainly, I presume, on account of the undoubted fact that the three plants are more or less connected by transitional forms. But var. scleroprium also connects A. lucidum with A. flaccidum, while var. Lyallii offers a passage to A. bulbiferum, so that by parity of reasoning these two species should be included. This reduction was actually proposed by the late Baron Mueller in his Chatham Islands Florula (p. 66), but has found no followers. As arbitrary distinctions must in any case be employed, and as the differences-between the typical A. lucidum and A. obtusatum are quite as well marked as those between several species of Asplenium universally admitted, I have-retained both species in this work. A. obliquum has generally been placed with A. obtusatum, but its position is really a matter of taste, and to me it seems to fall more naturally under A. lucidum.

In addition to New Zealand, A. lucidum is found in Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, Australia, and some of the Polynesian islands.

Var. Colensoi, Moore, Ind. Fil. 137.—Fronds pale-green, usually flaccid. Pinnules on shorter stalks, deeply and finely pinnatifid; segments linear, each with a single vein. Sori oblong, solitary on the margin of the segments.— Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 373; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 75; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 120, t. 27, f. 1. A. Colensoi, Hook. f. in Lond. Journ. Bot. iii. (1844)26; Hook, and, Bak. Syn. Fil. 219. A. adiantoides var. Colensoi, Hook. f. Ic. Plant, t. 984; Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 35. A. Richardi var. Colensoi, Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 197.

North and South Islands: From Mongonui and Kaitaia to the south of Otago, but often local. Sea-level to 2500 ft.

A variable little plant, said to be found also in New South Wales and Victoria, but I have seen no specimens from thence. Var. Colensoi was placed with A. Richardi by Sir W. J. Hooker, and is retained as a distinct species by Mr. Baker in the "Synopsis Filicum." But, as stated by Mr. Field (N.Z. Ferns, 120), it often grows intermixed with the type, and occasionally the fronds of both, forms can be found on the same plant. Mr. Colenso's A. ornatum is simply a. state with the pinnules rather narrower than usual, and on longer stalks.

Var. laxum, Hook, f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 34.—Fronds smaller and more slender, with narrower and more remote pinnæ. Pinnules more deeply divided; segments narrow-linear. Sori often marginal.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 373; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 196; Hook, and Bah. Syn. Fil. 218. A. laxum, R. Br. Prodr. 151;. Homb. and Jacq. Voy. au Pôle Sud, Crypt, t. 3, f. J. A. gracillimum, Col. in. Trans. N.Z Inst. xxii. (1890) 453. (?)A. triste, Raoul, Choix, 10.

Var. tripinnatum, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 34.—Fronds ample, tripinnate, with narrow pinnules and segments resembling some forms of A. flaccidum, but more compound and texture thinner. Sori marginal on the segments.—Handb. N.Z. FL 373; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 196. A. tremulum, Homb. and Jacq. Voy. au Pôle Sud, Crypt, t. 3 bis.

North and South Islands, Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Antipodes Island: Abundant throughout, especially in damp woods. Moku. Sea-level to 3000 ft.

The typical state of A. bulbiferum is a well-known plant throughout the whole of New Zealand, and is at once distinguished from the other species of the genus by the ample dark-green bipinnate fronds with comparatively broad pinnules, and especially by its habit of producing small bulbils on the upper surface of the frond, which develop into young plants while still attached to the frond. When the bulbils are not developed, and the frond is more slender, with narrower and more deeply divided pinnules, so that the sori are often almost marginal, the plant becomes var. laxum. This runs into several small page 994states not clearly separable, one of which is the A. triste of Raoul, and another Colenso's A. gracillimum. Var. tripinnatum has still narrower pinnules, deeply cut into narrow-linear segments, and the sori are quite marginal. It approaches very close to some states of A. flaccidum, but the frond is broader and more decompound, and the texture is thinner. In addition to the above varieties there are a large number of puzzling forms, which apparently connect the species with A. falcatum, A. lucidum var. Lyallii, A. lucidum var. scleroprium, A. Hookerianum, A. Richardi, and A. flaccidum. In Stewart Island, passage forms into A. scleroprium and A. flaccidum are particularly abundant, and it is often difficult to decide to which species they should be referred. It would occupy many pages to characterize these, and I doubt whether it is possible to define them in language sufficiently precise to enable them to be recognised with certainty.

A. bulbiferum in some of its forms is also found in Australia and Tasmania, many of the Pacific islands, Malaya, North India, South Africa, Mexico, and Central America.

North Island: Tararua Range, Buchanan, H. G. Field. South Island: Not uncommon in hilly and mountainous districts throughout. Sea-level to 4000 ft.

A very puzzling plant. Small states with membranous fronds appear to pass directly into A. Hookerianum var. Colensoi, while larger and more coriaceous forms only differ from erect states of A. flaccidum in the more finely cut fronds and smaller segments.

Var. Shuttleworthianum.—Fronds broader and much more compound, 1–2 ft. long, 4–10 in. broad, ovate-oblong, acuminate, very coriaceous, dark-green, 3–4-pinnatifid; ultimate segments linear-spathulate; sori short, oblong, quite marginal.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 374. A. Shuttleworthianum, Kunze in Schkr. Fil. Suppl. 26, t. 14; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 210.

Kermadec Islands, North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands, Auckland Islands: Abundant throughout. Sea-level to 3500 ft. Var. Shuttleworthianum: Kermadec Islands, abundant, MacGillivray, T. F. C.

Also found in Australia and Tasmania, in several of the Pacific islands, and said to have been gathered in South Africa. In New Zealand it varies excessively, the varieties depending to a large extent on the nature of their habitat, specimens growing on trees in damp forests being long and narrow and pendulous, while those found on exposed rocks are broad, rigid, and erect. Sir J. D. Hooker makes 5 varieties in the Handbook, exclusive of var. Shuttleworthianum, but they are so intimately connected by intermediate forms that it is difficult to provide them with satisfactory definitions.

North Island: Not uncommon from the Bay of Islands to the East Cape and Taranaki, from thence somewhat rare and local to Cook Strait, usually on calcareous or alluvial soils. South Island: Nelson—Travers; near Foxhill, T. F. C.; West Wanganui, Kingsley. Sea-level to 1800 ft.

Also found in Australia and Tasmania, the Malay Archipelago, India, tropical Africa to the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira.

Kermadec Islands: Ravines on Sunday Island, not common, T. F. C. North Island: Auckland—Banks of the Awanui River (near Kaitaia), R. H. Matthews! H. Carse! Okura River (Bay of Islands), Miss Clarke! Northern Wairoa River, G. E. Smith!

This appears to be a widely distributed species, ranging through Polynesia to the Malay Archipelago, India, China, and Japan. It is possible that Mr. Kirk's A. umbrosum var. tenuifolium (Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxiii. 424), of which I have seen no specimens, may be identical with it.