sharply incised. Veins distinct, close, oblique, forked. Sori shorter than in A. falcatum, in an oblique row close to the midrib of the pinnæ, not nearly reaching the margin.—Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 152; Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 372; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 209; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 75; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 118.
Kermadec Islands: Sunday Island, not uncommon, MacGillivray, T.F.C.
A widely spread plant, found in most tropical region?. Doubtfully distinct from A. falcatum, from which it chiefly differs in the narrower and more caudate pinnæ and shorter sori.
5. A. obtusatum, Forst. Prodr. n. 430.—Rhizome short, thick, often forming a hard rounded mass, densely clothed with large brown shining ovate-lanceolate scales. Stipes 2–6 in. long, erect, very stout, almost fleshy, greyish-green, densely scaly at the base. Fronds 2—12 in. long without the stipes, 1–3 in. broad, linear-oblongs acute, very thick and coriaceous or almost cartilaginous, glabrous or slightly paleaceous when young, pinnate; rhachis broad, often margined, channelled above. Pinnæ 6–20 pairs, close-set, often overlapping, shortly stipitate, ¾–1½ in. long, ⅓–¾ in. broad, oblong or linear-oblong, obtuse and rounded at the apex, the terminal pinna alone acute, obliquely truncate-cuneate at the base; margins thick and cartilaginous, crenate-serrate. Veins obscure, simple or forked. Sori oblique to the midrib, usually copious, short, linear-oblong or linear, not reaching the margin.—A. Cunn. Precur. n. 191; Raoul, Choix, 37; Hook. and Jacq. Voy. au Póle Sud, Crypt. t. 1, f. b, small specimen; Hook. Sp. Fil. iii. 96; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 33; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 371; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 207; Benth. Fl. Austral. vii. 747; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 73; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 118 excl. all varieties quoted.
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. obtusalum 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.
6. A. lucidum, Forst. Prodr. n. 427.—Rhizome short, stout, often forming a hard and woody rounded caudex, clothed at the top with large brown shining ovate-acuminate scales. Stipes 6–18 in. long, stout, terete or compressed, densely scaly at the base. Fronds 1–3 ft. long without the stipes, 6–14 in. broad, erect or pendulous, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, dark-green and glossy, herbaceous or subcoriaceous, glabrous or slightly paleaceous beneath, pinnate; rhachis terete or compressed. Pinnæ
