REPORT ON THE BOTANY OF THE ATLANTIC ISLANDS. 4 1 



Generally diffused in warm countries, and lately collected in St Helena, though it is in 

 none of the earlier collections. 



Polypodium trichomanoid.es, Swartz. 



Polypodium irkhomanoides, Swartz, Synop. Fil., p. 33; Schk., Krypt. Gewachse, i. p. 11, ii. t. 10 ; 



Hook., Sp. Fil., iv. p. 178 ; Hook, and Bak., Synop. Fil, p. 326. 

 /3 jungermannioides, Hook., Sp. Fil., 1. c. 

 Polypodium planiusculum, Mett. ex Kulm, FiL Afr., p. 151. 



Ascension. — The variety is endemic. Amongst moss on the summit of the Green 

 Mountain, 2800 feet — Hooker. 



We have only seen the specimens collected by Sir Joseph Hooker, but Kuhn records 

 Hannemann as having collected the plant. Typical Polypodium trichomanoides has a 

 wide range in Tropical Asia and America and in Polynesia. The Ascension plant wants 

 the conspicuous hairs of the type. 



Gymnogramme ascensionis, Hook. 



Gymnogramme ascensicmis, Hook., Sp. FiL, v. p. 137 ; Hook, and Bak., Synop. Fil., p. 383 ; Hook., 



2d Cent. Ferns, t. 67. 

 Grammitis ascensionis, Hook., Ic. PL, t. 967. 



Ascension. — Endemic. Wet rocks and banks on the weather side of the Green Moun- 

 tain, 1200 to 1800 feet — Hooker; without locality — Moscley. 



MARATTIACE^E. 



Marattia purpurascens, De Vriese. 



Marattia purpurascens, De Vriese, Monogr. Marat., p. 7, t. 3, fig. 19, t. 4, fig. 19; Kuhn, Fil. Afr., 



175; Hook., Fil. Exot., t. 65; Hook and Bak., Synop. FiL, p. 441, under Marattia fraxinea. 

 Marattia ascensionis, J. Sni., Cat. Cult. Ferns, p. 79. 

 Marattia cristata, J. Sm., Cat. of Kew Ferns, p. 8. 



Ascension. — Endemic. Very rare on the weather side of the Green Mountain, near 

 the summit — Hooker ; without locality — Seemann ; Moseley. 



Perhaps only a stunted state of Marattia fraxinea, Sm., which is common in Tropical 

 and South Africa, in Tropical Asia and Polynesia, southward to New Zealand. 



OPHIOGLOSSACE2E. 

 Ophioglossum vulgatum, Linn. 



Ophioglossum vulgatum, Linn., Sp. PL, ed. 1, p. 1062; Hook, and Bak., Synop. FiL, p. 445. 



Ascension. — Indigenous. Without locality — Dr Murphy. 



This plant covers nearly the whole area of fern distribution. The variety found in 



Ascension has narrow fronds, and is quite unlike that from St Helena and Tristan da 



Cunha. 



(bot. chall. exp. — part ii. — 1884.) B 6 



