inner one often very inconspicuous.—Hook. Sp. Fil. ii. 196, t. 141; Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 363; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 162; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 731; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 60; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 92, t. 14, f. 1, 1a. P. esculenta, Forst. Prodr. n. 418; Pl. Escul. 74; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 79; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 200; Raoul, Choix, 38. Pteridium aquilinum, Kuhn.
Kermadec Islands, North and South Islands, Chatham Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland and Campbell Islands: Abundant throughout, except in dense forest, often covering extensive areas, especially in the North Island. Common fern; Bracken; Rau-aruhe; Rahurahu; of the root Aruhe, Roi. Sea-level to 4000 ft.
P. aquilina, in some of its forms, is almost cosmopolitan; the variety esculenta, which chiefly differs in the decurrent bases of the pinnules, is confined to the Southern Hemisphere. The starchy rhizome formerly constituted one of the chief vegetable foods of the Maoris. For an account of the mode of its preparation, and many interesting particulars concerning its use, reference should be made to Mr. Colenso's paper "On the Vegetable Food of the Ancient New-Zealanders" (Trans. N.Z. Inst, xiii., pp. 1–38.)
2. P. scaberula, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 82, t. 11.—Rhizome wide-creeping, rigid, wiry, clothed with chestnut-brown scales. Stipes 4–12 in. long, rigid, erect, yellow-brown or chestnut-brown, scabrous, glandular-pubescent and usually more or less bristly. Fronds 9–18 in. high, rarely more, 4–9 in. broad, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, rigid, coriaceous, pale yellow-green, usually copiously glandular-pubescent on both surfaces, rarely almost glabrate; rhachis scabrous, flexuous. Primary pinnaæ numerous, the lowest pair often distant, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 3–9 in. long; secondary lanceolate. Ultimate divisions small, 110–14 in. long, stipitate, acute, entire or the barren ones toothed or incised, often lobed or pinnatifid at the base; veins obscure. Sori copious, when mature usually covering the whole segment except the costa and the extreme tip and base.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 204; Raoul, Choix, 38; Hook. Sp. Fil. 174, t. 93a; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 25; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 364; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 163; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 61; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 94, t. 19, f. 5. P. microphylla, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 206; Raoul, Choix, 38. Allosurus scaberulus, Presl. Pœsia scaberula, Kuhn.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands: Abundant throughout, usually on bank-sides, or in dry open places in woods. Sea-level to 2500 ft.
Easily distinguished from the other species of the genus in New Zealand by the finely divided frond and minute coriaceous pinnules. In the North Island it quickly takes possession of the sides of road-cuttings in forest districts, often to the exclusion of other vegetation.
3. P. tremula, R. Br. Prodr. 154.—Rhizome short, stout, suberect, putting up numerous tufted erect fronds. Stipes 1–2 ft. long, stout, erect, quite glabrous, smooth and polished, bright chestnut-
