Flora of New Zealand Series

Litobrochia comans Presl Tent. Pterid. 1836, 66.

P. endlicheriana Agardh Rec. Spec. Gen. Pteridis 1839, 66.

Rhizome short, stout, ascending, paleate; stipites crowded, paleate near base; paleae brown, ovate, long-attenuate, up to 1 cm. long. Stipes stout, (10)-30-60 cm. long, smooth to slightly asperous; dark brown towards base, paler above. Rhachis stout, pale brown to stramineous, smooth to slightly asperous, with distant to approximate opp. to subopp. pinnae. Lamina 20-120 cm. × 15-90 cm., deltoid, dark green, membr. to subcoriac., minutely punctate below, acute to acuminate, 2-3-pinnate. Veins copiously anastomosing. Primary pinnae 15-25 × 4-10 cm., deltoid-ovate to oblong-ovate, distant to approximate, shortly stalked to sessile with decurrent base. Secondary pinnae up to 7 × 3 cm.: lower often stalked; mid decurrent, pinnatifid; upper confluent, crenateserrate. Segs up to 15 × 8 mm., oblong, bluntly toothed. Secondary fertile pinnae us. narrow ovate-oblong, ± arcuate, acute to attenuate; segs toothed at tips. Sori us. cop. along margins, but not reaching apices of segs.

DIST.: K., Three Kings, N. to lat. 38º. Mainly in shaded coastal localities; plentiful on adjacent islets. Australia, Tasmania, Pacific Islands.