MR. J. G, BAFTER ON MADAGASCAR FERNS. 197 



On a Collection of Ferns made by Miss Helen Gilpin in the 



interior of Madagascar. By J. G. Baker, F.L.S. 



[Kead April 15, 1877.] 



Last session, I laid before tlie Society an account of a collection 

 of Ferna, made in the interior of Madagascar, which had been pre- 

 sented to the Kew herbarium by Mr. W, Pool (Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 vol. XV. p. 411), This spring I have had the opportunity of 

 studying in detail another collection, made principally in the 

 neighbourhood of Antananarivo by Miss Helen Gilpin, of the 

 Friends' Foreign Mission Association, who has lately returned 

 temporarily to England after a residence of many years in the 

 capital of the island. Miss Gilpin's collection«»contains about 150 

 species of Ferns and the allied orders. In reporting upon it I 

 shall not repeat the species included in my former list unless I 

 have any thing fresh to say about them, and, as in my former 

 paper, shall indicate, in the case of the novelties, by means of num- 

 bers prefixed to the names, the position into which the plants fall 

 according to the arrangement adopted in our ' Synopsis Filicum.' 



Gleichenia DicnoTOMA, Wtlld. 



Hemitelia Melleri, Saker, in fine fructificatioJi. 



Trichomanes flabellatum, Bory. 



T. RIGTDTJM, Sw. 



DiCKSONiA Henrietta, Baker, '* Creeps up the branches of 

 trees to a height of 20-30 feet." 



19*. D. HTPOLEPiDoiDESj Baker, n. sp. Frond deltoid, 2-3- 

 pinnate, 2-3 feet long and broad. Rachis dull grey, finely pu- 

 bescent, not at all scaly. Texture moderately firm ; both surfaces 

 green and, especially the lower one, finely pubescent all over. 

 Pinnae lanceolate, acuminate, the lowest the largest, a foot or more 



f 



long, 1-2 inches broad ; lower pinnules lanceolate, acute, free, cut 

 away cuneately on the lower side at the base, with deep obtuse 

 close erecto-patent entire lobes ^-J in. broad. Veins erecto- 

 patent,fine, distant, forked or subpinnate in the lowest tertiary seg- 

 ments. Sori regularly seriate at the base of the ultimate sinuses, 

 one to each, placed on the upper side of the ultimate lobes. Invo- 

 lucre a depressed round cup, | line broad, highest on the inner side. 

 General habit and texture like that of Bavallia strigosa. 



D. rLABELLTFOLiA, Baker. Under the great rock at the left- 

 hand side of the waterfall of Andrangaloaka, 



LINK. JOITRN. BOTAKT, ^OL. XVf. Q 



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