FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 455 



spicis 3-4nis magnis cylindricis pendulis simplicibus vel furcatis, brncteis 

 ovatis ascendentibus coriaceis fructu longioribus. 



A robust epiphytic species, with erect forked stems about a 

 foot long. Leaves crowded, reflexed, rigid in texture, bright 

 green, i in. long, with the midrib not visible on the upper surface, 

 but distinct beneath. Spikes 3-4 to a branch, pendulous, ^ in. 

 diam., sometimes 5-6 in. long. Bracts quite different from the 

 leaves in shape and direction, uniform, ovate, multifarious, g-^ in. 

 long, yellowish green, coriaceous. Capsule orbicular, T 1 ^ in. 

 diam. — Baron 2840 ! Belongs to the group of L. Phlegtnaria. 

 I do not think that L. pachyphyllum, Kuhn, founded on Hilde- 

 brandt's 4141 will prove to be distinct specifically from L. obtusi- 

 folium, Sw. It was also collected many years ago by Mr. W. 

 Pool. 



Alsophila Baroni, n. sp. 



Arborea, frondibus deltoideis tripinnatis utrinque viridibus praeter 

 costas pinnularum glabris, pinnis petiolatis oblongo-lanceolatis, pinnulis 

 sessilibus lanceolatis, segmentis tertiariis lanceolatis integris, venis 8-10- 

 jugis, inferioribus compositis, soris parvis globosis costularibus. 



A tree-fern, with the habit of A. australis and A. excelsa. 

 Rhachis of the pinnae pale brown, unarmed, glabrous on the 

 underside, clothed on the upper surface with minute red-brown 

 crisped hair-like paleae. Fronds moderately firm in texture, 

 green above, pale green beneath. Pinna? about a foot long. 

 Pinnules crowded, f-| in. broad, cut down to the paleaceous 

 rhachis into distinct adnate arcuate-ascending tertiary segments 

 -jV in. broad, with reflexed edges ; veius fine and indistinct, the 

 lower with 3-4 branches, the central ones erecto-patent, deeply 

 forked. Sori minute, globose, superficial.— Baron 3143 ! 



LINN. JOURN. BOTANT, VOL. XXI. 



