Abstract
At least four species of the Gleicheniaceous genus Dicranopteris Bernh. grow in the Hawaiian Islands. These interesting ferns, known locally as uluhe or False Staghorn Fern, are D. glauca, D. linearis, D. owhyhensis, and D. emarginata. It is with the last of this group that we wish to deal in this paper. Dicranopteris emarginata was originally described in 1854 by Brackenridge as Mertensia emarginata (not to be confused with Mertensia emarginata Raddi, 1825). Since that time it has been known under several names, now all reduced to synonymy under D. emarginata (Brack.) Robinson. These are the following: Gleichenia emarginata Moore (1862), Gleichenia emarginata (Brack.) Hbd. MacCaughey (1918), Gleichena dichotoma var. tomentosa Luerss. ex Wawra (1875), Gleichena dichotoma E. Bailey, pro parte (1882), Gleichenia dichotoma var. emarginata Hilleb. (1888), and Dicranopteris sandwicensis Degener (1940). The uluhe fern is now known to be native to the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Lanai, where it often grows rampantly in a variety of situations. It is a tomentose species which is readily distinguished from the much more common D. linearis by its hairy fronds. The muricate, basally slightly villous stipes measure about a meter high in most instances, though when they are supported by entangling vegetation they sometimes become twice or thrice as high: They branch profusely in the upper portions. The pinnules are rather fleshily coriaceous, and are covered below with a fulvous wool composed of branching hairs, but become glabrous with age. The ultimate pinnae vary from 9 to 23 cm. long and 4 to 7 cm. wide, and are elliptic-oblong to elliptic-lanceolate
Published Version
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