Flora of New Zealand Series

A. adiantoides var. richardi Hook. f. Ic. Pl. t. 977.

A. raoulii var. richardi Mett. U. e. Farngatt. 1859, 118.

Type locality: "Southern Island: New River." Type: P, Herb. A. Richard. Endemic.

Rhizome short, erect or ascending, sts shortly creeping, clad in dark brown subulate-acuminate paleae 5-8 mm. long; stipites tufted to approximate. Stipes slender to stout, us. stiff to rigid, erect or ascending, pale green, 5-15 cm. long, sparingly paleate when young. Rhachis slender to stout, grey-green, sparingly paleate to nude. Lamina dark green, subcoriac., 7-25 × 2.5-10-(15) cm., ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 2-3-pinnate. Primary pinnae 3-5-(10) × 1-4 cm., ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, stalked, up to 28. Secondary pinnae c. 2 × 1-2 cm., ovate-oblong, often overlapping, pinnatisect or again pinnate; segs linear-lanceolate to linear, up to 5 mm. long, acute to subacute, sts apiculate. Sori oblong, submarginal, 2-4 mm. long; indusium firm.

DIST.: N., S. Montane to subalpine forests and streamsides from lat. 39º southwards, rather local in N.

A. symmetricum Col. in T.N.Z.I. 31, 1899, 264, was described from plants collected on "Hills (altitude 2,000 ft.) near Rangiora, North Canterbury; 1898: Mr. T. Keir." The type specimen in W consists of 3 fronds. Stipes 25-30 mm. long, slender, pale green, with tuft of brown subulate-attenuate paleae at base c. 5 mm. long; sparingly paleate elsewhere. Rhachis slender, with a few paleae. Lamina 6-8 ×3-4 cm., ovate. Primary pinnae stalked, up to 2 cm. × 8 mm., alt., ovate, obtuse; secondary pinnae subsessile, up to 5 × 4 mm., divided into linear-lanceolate apiculate segs up to 3 mm. long. The pinnae are rather distant and do not overlap. Further study is desirable. Similar but larger forms have been collected near Rangiwahia, N., the fronds symmetric.