Flora of New Zealand Series

Nephrodium glabellum A. Cunn. in Compan. bot. Mag. 2, 1837, 367.

N. decompositum var. glabellum Hook. f. Fl. N.Z. 2, 1855, 39.

N. decompositum var. microphyllum Hook. Sp. Fil. 4, 1862, 146.

Dryopteris glabella (A. Cunn.) Christen. Ind. Fil. 1905, 267.

Type locality: "Shaded woods, Bay of Islands-1826, A. Cunningham." Type: BM, A. Cunningham.

Rhizome rather stout, short, erect, ± clad in dark brown linear-subulate paleae, c. 5 mm. long; stipites tufted. Stipes slender, 10-20-(35) cm. long, sparingly paleate to nude at base, glabrate in upper part. Rhachis grooved, narrowly winged, ± densely clad in reddish hairs to glabrate. Lamina rather dark green, submembr., narrow ovate to ovate-deltoid, acuminate, glabrate, 2-(3)-pinnate; 15-30-(35) × 5-15-(25) cm. Larger (lowest) pinnae 4-12 × 2-8 cm., ovate to rather obliquely deltoid, acuminate. Secondary pinnae oblong to lanceolate, up to 3-(6) × 1-2 cm., pinnatifid to pinnatisect; segs ovate to triangular, acute to aristate. Sori 1-(3) per seg., 0·5-1 mm. diam., submarginal to about halfway between margins; indusium round-reniform.

DIST.: K., N., S. Lowland forest throughout. Also recorded for Polynesia, apparently absent from Australia.