FLORA OF THE ISLAND OF HONGKONG. 427 
730. Pteris crenata, Sw., WiUd. 1. c, p. 373.— Agard. 1. c. p. 14-.— {Burm, Fl. Zey. t. 87.) 
Hongkong (Hance!). — v. v. Hort. Kew. * 
731. Ptekis semipinnata, Linn.j AVilld. 1. c. p. 388. — Agard. L c. p. 17. — P. dimidiata, Willd. 
1. c. p. 381. — N. flahellata, Sclik. FiL t. 93. Hongkong (Fortune ! SecmannI Hance !). — v. v. Ilort. 
Kew. 
733. Pteris nemoralis, Willd. 1. c. p. 386. — Agard. 1. c. p. 25. Hongkong (Seemanu !). 
733. Pteris aqidlina, Linn, supra^ p. 342. Hongkong (Sccmaiin!). 
734. Blechnx7m orientale, Linn., Willd. I.e. p. 414. — Sclik. Fil. t. 109. Hongkong (Sec- 
mannI). — V. V. Hort. Kew. 
735. Brainea insignis, 3. Sm. — Bowringia ins'ignis, Hook, in Journ. Bot. and Kew Misc. vol. v. 
p. 237. t. 2. Hongkong (Hance! Seemann!}, Khasia (Hook. fil. and Thomson). — v. v. Hort. Kew, 
This remarkable Fern, has been described and figured by Sir "W. J. Hooker, under the name of Boxo- 
ringia, but as that name happens to be already applied to a genus of Legnminoste by Mr. Bentham, I adopt 
the name Brainea in compliment to C. Braine, Esq., who, on his return from Hongkong in 1851, intro- 
duced the li\-ing plants now found in the Koyal Gardcus at Kew. — "With regard to the position Brainea 
occupies in a natural sequence, its general habit and character of tlic sporangiferous receptacle appear:^ to 
indicate its relationship with Lomaria, especially with L. Boryana of Willdenow, as also with Sadlcria cya- 
thioides of Kaulfuss. Brainea agrees with them in having a stout, Zamia-like caudex, rising to the height 
of 2-5 feet, but its venation is anastomosed, and the sporangia are destitute of an indusium. The spo- 
rangia being produced on transverse anastomosing costal veins, seems to indicate some affinity with Wood- 
wardia and Boodia, but the absence of the indusium, and its arboreous habit, shows it to be distinct from 
those two genera. Sadlcria has bipinnatifid fronds, whereas in Brainea they arc simply pinnate, as gene- 
rally observed ; but such does not appear to be the normal character, for a plant under my notice has pro- 
duced bipinnatifid, and even complete bijiinnate fronds. On taking all these points into consideration, I 
am induced to place Brainea in the Bleclmem alliance, even though it has no indusium. 
736. Neottopteris M</?/5, J. Sm., supra, p. 342. On trees; Hongkong (Hance ! Seemann!). 
Eepresentatives of this genus are found throughout the tropica, extending from Western Africa east- 
ward through India, the Malayan Archipelago, the Sandwich and Friendly Islands, and, in one or two loca- 
lities, on the Pacific side of America ; but it has not been observed in the great Fern regions of tropical 
America or the West Indies. In southern latitudes it extends to Norfolk Island, and the southern parts 
of the east coast of Australia. Many localities possess forms peculiar to them, and although great simila- 
rity pervades the whole, yet some seem sufficiently specifically distinct. Fee, in his ' Genera Filicum,' 
enumerates thirteen species; the chief distinctions consist in the fronds varying iu being linear-lanceolate 
or broad-elliptical, sessile or stipitate, and in the costa being prominently acute or obtuse-convex. In culti- 
vated plants under my notice, these differences are obvious, and it appears to me that the acute costa of 
the Australian type of N. Nidus is characteristic of its being a distinct species from the Indian type, in 
which the costa is merely convex, but in extensive suites of herbarium specimens the differences seen in the 
living plants are not so evident, and then it becomes difficvdt to separate them as distinct species. 
737. AsPLENiUM lanccum, Thunb, Fl. Jap. p. 333.~Willd. 1. c. p. Z(}Z.~DipJozivm lanceum, 
Presl. — Scotopendrium dubium, Don. — Asplenium subsinuatum, Hook, et Grcv. Ic. Fil. t. 27. Hong- 
kong (Hance ! Seemann !); East Indies. 
This is a very distinct species, being one of a few Aspleniece that have sarmentose vernation. It varies 
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