Flora of New Zealand Series

A. setulosum J. Smith in Compan. bot. Mag. 1846, 22.

A. affine Hook. Sp. Fil. 2, 1858, 32, non Willdenow.

Rhizome short, ascending, clad in dark brown linear-subulate attenuate paleae, c. 3-4 mm. long, us. with small tuber-like expansions; stipites tufted to clustered. Stipes slender to filiform, very dark brown, glab. except at paleate base. Rhachis filiform, glab., ± flexuous, bearing simple pinnae or 1-4 secondary pinnae in lower portion. Lamina rather dark green, delicate, flaccid. bearing sparse minute stiff hairs, to glab., narrow- to ovate-oblong. Lateral pinnae (1-4, if present) 4-15 × 1-2 cm., stalked, narrow-oblong. Terminal or sole pinna up to 13 × 2.5 cm., oblong to ovate-oblong. Pinnules dimidiate-oblong, stalked, sparingly setulose, up to 15 × 8 mm.; lower margin entire, straight or slightly curved; upper with numerous lobes or teeth. Sporangia in sinuses of lobes, protected by reflexed pale to dark brown, lunulate margin; 4-8 groups per pinnule.

DIST.: K., N., S. Lowland forest to lat. 46°: local in S. Also Norfolk Id, Australia, Fiji to Southern China.

A. polymorphum Col. in T.N.Z.I. 20, 1888, 215, (A. diaphanum var. polymorphum (Col.) Cheesem. Man. N.Z.Fl. 1906, 951) was described from specimens collected " on the ground at a steep declivity, forming a small bed or patch, and very closely growing together, in a thick wood south of Danneverke, County of Waipawa; May, 1887; W.C. (Not noticed anywhere else)." The type sheet in W has two plants, each with 2 fronds, and 6 separate fronds. Lamina simply pinnate, 5-8·5 × 1·5-2·8 cm., glab. Larger pinnae up to 15 × 10 mm., lower margin strongly curved to nearly straight, upper crenately lobed. A. tuberosum Col.loc. cit. 217 (considered by Cheeseman as synonymous with the above) from " Woods near Ormondville, County of Waipawa: Mr A. Hamilton " is described: ". . . Rhizome tuberous . . . stipe 1-2 inches . . . frond simple . . . 1-11/2 (rarely 2) inches long . . . pinnae . . . dull green, glabrous . . . minutely and closely dotted (sub lente) with very short reddish-brown pubescence (or subpapillose scurf) . . . margins toothed-serrate " (specimens not seen by me). The status of these forms remains uncertain.