decurved, opaque, dull brownish-green, 2–6 in. long, 1–2½ in. broad, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3–4-pinnatifid. Stipes 1–3 in. long, usually narrowly winged above, villous with scattered spreading hairs; rhachis narrowly winged throughout, rather slender, flexuous, more or less villous, as are the partial rhachides and costæ. Primary pinnæ closely placed, often over-lapping, lanceolate-deltoid; secondary rhombic-ovate, again once or twice pinnatifid. Ultimate segments crowded, very narrow, linear, obtuse, flat. Sori numerous, terminating the segments, free. Indusium broadly ovate, obtuse or subacute, broader than the segments, 2-valved to the base; valves smooth, entire.—Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. x. (1878) 395; Bak. in Annals Bot. v. (1890-91) 192; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 39.
North Island: Auckland—Summit of Moehau (Cape Colville), Adams! Te Aroha Mountain, T.F.C.; Tarawera Mountain, Kirk; Ruatahuna, Colenso! Hawke's Bay—Tukituki River, A. Hamilton! Ruahine Mountains, H. Hill! Wellington—Tararua Range, H. H. Travers! South Island: Not uncommon in subalpine forests throughout. Stewart Island: Mount Anglem, Kirk. Auckland Islands: Kirk. Usually from 2000–4500 ft., but descends almost to sea-level in Westland.
This was placed with H. polyanthos by Hooker, and is doubtless closely allied to it. But it differs markedly in the much more finely cut 4-pinnatifid fronds, in the villous stipes, rhachis, &c., in the much narrower segments, and in the smaller sori.
4. H. australe, Willd. Sp. Plant. v. 527.—Forming matted patches on rocks or among moss, more rarely on the trunks of trees, pale-green when young, becoming lurid-green in age. Rhizome creeping, branched, wiry. Fronds erect or decurved, very membranous, 3–9 in. long, 1½–4 in. broad, triangular with usually a broad base, acuminate, quite glabrous, 2–3-pinnatifid. Rhachis with a broad much-crisped wing which extends almost to the base of the stipes. Primary pinnæ ¾–2 in. long, rhomboidal-lanceolate, spreading, often decurved at the tips, deeply pinnatifid; secondary again pinnatifid or irregularly forked. Ultimate segments narrow-linear, obtuse, quite entire, more or less crisped, rarely flat. Sori usually numerous, terminal on the segments, free. Indusium orbicular or broadly ovate, usually broader than the segments, 2-valved to the base; valves broad, rounded, entire or slightly erose.—Bak. Annals Bot. v. (1890–91) 193. H. javanicum, Spreng. Syst. iv. 132; Hook. and Bak. Syn. Fil. 60; Thoms. N.Z. Ferns, 39; Field, N.Z. Ferns, 61, t. 15, f. 4. H. crispatum, Wall. Cat. 169; Hook. Sp. Fil. i. 105; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. ii. 13; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 354. H. flexuosum, A. Cunn. Precur. n. 238; Raoul, Choix, 39.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island: Not uncommon in damp woods. Sea-level to 2000 ft.
A common plant in Tasmania, and from thence extending northwards to Malaya, India, and Ceylon. It is easily distinguished from the other New Zealand species by the broad conspicuously crisped wing of the rhachis and stipes.
