Flora of New Zealand Series

Aspidium cordifolium Swartz Syn. Fil. 1806, 45.

N. flexuosa Col. in T.N.Z.I. 20, 1888, 231.

Rhizome short, erect to oblique, densely clad in ferruginous ovate-attenuate paleae; emitting slender paleate stolons, sts bearing small "tubers", producing offset plants. Stipites tufted. Stipes 3-10-(15) cm. × 2-3 mm., stout, brown, with attenuate paleae and hairs. Rhachis stout, red-brown, densely to sparsely clad in red-brown paleae and hairs, often ± hidden by basal lobes of pinnae. Lamina linear-lanceolate, dark to rather pale green, membr. to subcoriac., 20-50-(90) × 2-5-(10)cm. Pinnae close-set, very ∞; lower pinnae reduced, us. sterile, increasing to 2 × 1 cm., oblong, obtuse; mid-pinnae, us. fertile, up to 2 cm. × 5 mm., patent, oblong, obtuse, sub-cordately lobed at base; margins ± crenulate; upper pinnae gradually decreasing to acute apex. Veinlets forking at about 1/2 way. Sori about lunulate, dorsal, in 2 rows, discrete, 1-2 mm. at greatest diam., up to 30 per pinna. Indusium firm, about lunulate, covering sori till maturity.

DIST.: K., N. By hot springs and hot cracks in Volcanic Plateau area. Pantropic to Japan and N.Z.

I have not found specimens labelled by Colenso as N. flexuosa ("banks of hot stream at Tapuaehururo, near Taupo township") but a specimen in W from that locality has the pinnae more distinctly toothed than usual.