40 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



may have been taken from a garden, though its general distribution is not incompatible 

 with its beino- wild. It is widely spread in South Africa, and also occurs in Madagascar, 

 Bourbon, St°Paul Island, and the Tristan da Cunha group. The American Blechnum 

 hastatum can hardly be regarded as specifically distinct. 



Asplenium dentatum, Linn. 



Asplenium dentatum, Linn., Sp. PL, ed. 1, p. 10S0 ; Hook, and Bak., Synop. Fil., p. 19G ; Bory in 

 Duperr. Voy. " Coquille," Bot. Crypt., p. 270. 



Ascension. — Indigenous. Durville. 



Bermudas ; West Indies ; Florida ; Mexico ; Guatemala. 



We have seen no specimen of this fern from the island, and it is not taken up by 

 Kuhn in his Filices Africanas ; but we include it entirely on the authority of Bory. It is 

 such a very distinct species that there could hardly arise any error in its determination, 

 though it is not improbable that Bory was mistaken respecting the country. 



Asplenium lunulatum, Swartz. 



Asplenium lunulatum, Swartz, Synop. Fil., p. 80; Hook, and Bak., Synop. Fil., p. 202. 

 Asplenium erectum, Bory in Willd. Sp. PL, v. p. 328; Hook., Sp. Fil., iii. p. 126, t. 178. 

 Asplenium reclinatum, Houlst. and Moore in Gard. Mag. Bot., ii. p. 260. 

 Asjilenium alatum, A. Rich, (non Willd.), Sertum Astrolab., p. 52? 



Ascension. — Indio-enous. Most abundant under the scrub and ferns on the weather 

 side of the Green Mountain, also in crevices of rocks from an elevation of 1000 feet up 

 to the summit — Hooker; without locality — Lyall, Seemann, and Moseley. 



Generally spread in the tropics, except Australia, and extending as far southward as 

 Tristan da Cunha. The form found in Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is small, recliuate, 

 and usually proliferous. Kuhn (Fil. Afr., pp. 102 and 105) retains Asplenium erectum as 

 distinct from Asplenium lunulatum, and refers the St Helena form to the latter species. 



Nephrodium (Lastrea) ascensionis, Hook. 



Nephrodium (Lastrea) ascensionis, Hook., Sp. Fil., iv. p. 12-1, t. 257; Hook, and Bak., Synop. Fil., 

 p. 279; Kuhn, Fil. Afr., p. 126. 



Ascension. — Endemic. On the Green Mountain, 1400 to 1800 feet, not very 

 common — Hooker; Seeman ; Lyall. 



This fern, which is most nearly allied to the endemic St Helena Nephrodium napo- 

 leonis and Nephrodium cognatum, was not collected by Mr Moseley. 



Nephrodium (Lastrea) molle, Desv. 



Nephrodium (Lastrea) molle, Desv. in Mem. Soc. Linn. Par., vi. p. 258; Hook., Sp. Fil., iv. p. 67, 

 pro parte; Hook, and Bak., Synop. Fil., p. 293; Kuhn, Fil. Afr., p. 136. 



Ascension. — Indigenous ? Without locality — Moseley. 



