local. Nelson—Bateman's Gully, D. Grant; Collingwood, H. H. Travers. Canterbury—Gorge of the Rakaia, Potts. Otago—Various localities, Buchanan, Kirk. Sea-level to 1000 ft.
Also in Norfolk Island, east Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Java, and southern China.3. A. hispidulum, Swartz, Syn. Fil. 124, 321.—Rhizome short, stout, creeping. Stipes 6–15 in. long, stout, erect, scabrous, dark-brown or almost black, more or less clothed with short greyish-white pubescence when young, becoming almost glabrous when old. Fronds broad, 6–12 in. or more across, dichotomously forked at the base, both forks irregularly flabellately divided into 3–7 linear secondary divisions 3–8 in. long by ½–¾ in. broad, colour olive-green, often red or reddish-brown when young, rhachises densely hispid-pubescent. Pinnules numerous, closely placed, petiolate, ⅓–⅔ in. long, about ¼ in. deep, dimidiate, rhomboidal, rigid, prominently nerved, more or less hispid, especially on the under-surface, upper margin and the obtuse tip finely toothed, lower margin entire. Sori numerous on each pinnule, contiguous, placed in the notches of the upper and outer margins. Indusium orbicular-reniform, minutely hispid.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 88; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 209; Raoul, Choix, 38; Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 31; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 20; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 360; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 126; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 725; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 55; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 82, t. 13, f. 1. A. pubescens, Schkuhr Fil. 108, t. 116; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 89. A. pedatum, Forst. Prod. 458 (not of Linn.).
Kermadec Islands, North Island: Abundant as far south as the East Cape and Raglan, from thence somewhat rare and local to Cook Strait. South Island: Nelson—Bishopdale, D. Grant.
The rather harsh hispid-pubescent fronds distinguish this from all the other New Zealand species. Outside New Zealand, it extends through the Pacific islands and Australia to tropical Asia and Africa.
4. A. formosum, R. Br. Prodr. 155.—Rhizome long, stout, creeping, scaly. Stipes 1–3 ft. high, dark purplish-black or quite black, shining, sometimes hairy towards the base, scabrous throughout. Fronds 1½–3ft. long, 12–20 in. broad, broadlv deltoid, dark-green, copiously 3–4-pinnate; main rhachis flexuous, black, glossy, glabrous or pubescent; secondary rhachises usually pubescent. Lower pinnæ large and broad, often 12–15 in. long, ascending, very compound; secondary pinnæ usually again divided. Pinnules very numerous; fertile small, ¼–½ in. long, 15–½ in. deep, petiolate, dimidiate, broadly obliquely-oblong or rhomboid; lower margin straight or slightly hollowed, entire, upper and the rounded outer margin deeply toothed or incised; texture firm; under-surface glabrous or pubescent with scattered white hairs. Pinnules of the barren frond larger, often
