Flora of New Zealand Series

Cardiomanes reniforme (Forst. f.) Presl loc. cit.

Rhizome rather stout, far-creeping, much-branched, with tufts of dark red-brown hairs at base of rather distant to approximate stipites. Stipes stout, 5-20 cm. long, not winged. Lamina 3-10 × 5-10 cm., reniform, coriac. when mature; sinus deep. Laminae of juveniles flabellately divided above, of adults sts shallowly sinuate. Sori often close-set along margin, except in lower part and sinus. Indusium c. 2 mm. long, cup-shaped to almost bell-shaped. Receptacle stout, exserted.

DIST.: N., S., St., Ch. Mainly terrestrial in lowland to montane forest throughout, less common east of divide in S.

There is more justification for accepting Cardiomanes as a genus, than for the other subgenera of Trichomanes.

POLYMORPHY

Holloway (T.N.Z.I. 54, 1923, 577-618 and 55, 1927, 67-94) has given a detailed account of the distribution and polymorphy of all our spp. with illustrations. He lays stress on the influence of habitat conditions in producing modifications of form, but does not exclude the possibility of hybridism. Cockayne and Allan (Ann. Bot., Lond. 48, 1934, 4) gave as doubtfully hybridizing: Hymenophyllum demissum × scabrum, H. flabellatum × rufescens, H. peltatum × revolutum, H. sanguinolentum × villosum. The crossing of H. demissum × H. scabrum (Dobbie and Crookes New Zealand Ferns 1951, 78) has also been suggested. Definite information as to how far the polymorphy in Hymenophyllum is due to true-breeding races, hybridism, and habitat modification is scanty. No hybrids have been suggested for Trichomanes.