Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-02-27
HAWAIIAN FERNS AND FERN
ERIES.
FoUR7H PAPER.

We are now on one of the densely
wooded slopes or 'HapaS" in the midst
of the forest, at an elevation of between
1000 and 5000 feet There is a
wealth of vegetation about us, which
we cannot fail to admire, but it is the
ferns especially we would note growing
within a radius of two hundred feet
First, there is the P5ypodlum spec
f,um, whose thick green roots climb the
tree trunks to a height of'fve or six
feet. AT frequent intervals rise the
fronds, triangular in shape, and often
measuring eight and ten inches across
and as many in length The thin tex
ture of the fronds enable us to note the
curious yeining, which, with the pro-
fuse seeding, make the plant very con-
spicuous and interesting. On the
trunk of the tree on which the spectrum
is climbing are other Polypodiums:
SaymenfoSnm with the solitary fronds
deeply cut into horizontal points; se,7u-
Iatnm, hardly an eigth of an inch wide
and two or three inches long, with its
edges finely serrated; and HooketT with
its slender entire fronds "a good deal
like the "button" fern previously men
tioned) covered with dense growth Of
fine soft hairs.
There is sheltered grotto near US
formed by two or three interloeking
tree trunks and massive branches, and
from the under side of these hang
masses of Aspleaiun diSSectnm Ia rare
fern only lately discovered), near which
we find the Ae,ostieHnms. These are
distinguished by their habit of sending
up am occasional frond, which is com
pletely covered with spores on the
back, while all the rest are sterile.
Hanging down from the tree trunk are
clusters of Il. SguamOSun, coated with
brown scales, while growing erect on
the upper surface of the same trunk
are the varieties, Il. Con10yme, yettfuia-
Inn and mtfyadentum. In crotch of
the same tree is fourth variety, Il.
Go,goneH0i, SO named from having its
veins united near the edge of the
! frond.
On the PROSTATE trunk of tree close
at hand we find the Polypodiums
tamariscinuO1, whose pinnules are set
on the midribs like the leaves of
tamarind tree, and the varieties, Hiile-
6,undi-named for a well-known former
resident of these islands-an trim
aatifdum, which is the handsomest of
all. These ferns are mingled with a
most beautiful HJmea0phyllum, called
from its habit of growth, rsfu,zem; and
in crevice of the tree standing near
by is found two more varieties of this
lovely family, lanee0latnm and obtusun.
The latter bears fronds resembling very
closely in shape, size and color the
feathers on the breast of pheasant,
and, like them, overlapping each other
smoothly.
Looking still more closely at this tree
fernery we find the delicate little Poly
podiums, hymenophillofdes and A6ieti-
nun; while creeping up from the ground
are several Trichomanes.
| A few feet from where we are stand
ing there is splendid specimen of the
only Mar7attia found in the group. Its
fronds, with their stout fleshy stalks are
over six feet in height, and the whole
plant is of light translucent green.
The root from which the fronds arise
is very large and has been found to be
rich in starch. In times of famine these
roots we're often eaten by the natives,
and after being roasted are quite pala-
table.
One of the most beautiful ferns found
in this locality is the 44sblenium hoyyi-
DIM. Its slender pinnules grow in
clusters, and are found from six inches
to three feet in length. The pima
are cut into long lancet shaped pinnules
which are covered with spores of rich
reddish color, and the whole fern is
clothed with dark brown woolly scales
from which it takes its name. There
are also clumps of three varieties of the
P9s,Tdea qnad,auy7efa f,rsgularts and
eseslsa. The first has its pima so
arranged as to include regular quadran-
gular spaces, while the second sends
out pinnules at irregular intervals, and
the third has superb fronds often six
feet in length, with broadly lanceotate
pinnules beautifully edged with the
characteristic arrangement of spores
along the edges. There are many more
varieties of ferns to be found in this
locality, but some we have seen further
down the mountain and others we will
find more in perfection at an elevation
of seven thousand feet where the next
fernery to visit is located.
(To BE coNTINUED.) (