Tas. 5183. 
PTERIS QUADRIAURITA ; cum vars. 
Four-eared Brake ; with vars. 
Nat. Ord. Frurces.—CrryptTocamia Fitices. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 3247.) 
Preris (§ Eupteris) quadriaurita ; caudice brevi repente, frondibus ovatis ovat o- 
cordatisve acuminatis seepe amplis subcoriaceo-membranaceis _pinnatis, 
pinnis 5-21 magisve sepe oppositis lanceolatis profunde fere ad rachin 
pinnatifidis, rachide supra spinulosa, segmentis oblongis obtusis subinteger- 
rimis terminali elongato, pinnis infimis (rarius pluribus) bipartitis quan- 
doquidem latere inferiori iterum pinnatis, venis furcatis, stipitibus elongatis 
stramineis fuscisve leevibus v. scabriusculis. 
Prenis quadriaurita. Retz, Obs. v. 6. p- 38. Willd. Sp. Pl. p. 383. 4g. Sp. 
Gen. Pterid. p. 24. Hook. Sp. Fil. v. 2. p. 179. ¢. 134 B. (which see for . 
copious synonyms and remarks). 
Var. argyrea ; viridis, linea lata centrali alba. 
Preris (Pyrophylla) argyrea. 7. Moore in Gard. Chron. Aug. 1859, p. 671. 
Var. tricolor ; intense purpurea demum viridis, linea lata centrali alba vel rosea, 
rachibus costisque rubris. 
Preis tricolor. Linden in Gard. Chron. Feb, 1860, p. 123. . Moore in Gard. 
Chron. March 1860, p. 217. 
Pteris quadriaurita of Retz, the species here figured, is one of 
the most common of tropical Ferns, in Asia, Africa, and America, 
Pacific Islands, etc., and two very interesting varieties arising 
from the peculiar colouring of the foliage have been latélf: intro- 
duced to our Ferneries by Mr. Linden, of both of whiéh"we have 
here given as much as can be fairly represented in so small a 
plate. One has the ordinary green colour of Pferis quadri- 
aurita, except that a broad white line runs through the centre of 
all the pinnee. This Mr. 'T. Moore raises to the rank of a species, 
under the name of Pteris argyrea. Of it we possess native spe- 
cimens in our herbarium from Nilghiri, gathered by Mr. M‘Ivor 
(his n. 22); from Moulmein, communicated by the Rev. GC. 8. 
P. Parish (his n. 141), and we have beautiful living plants from 
Messrs. Veitch. The other, and infinitely the most beautiful, is 
may Ist, 1860. 
