222 Transactions. — Botany. 



macilenta (already in part quoted, supra), viz. : " Cette espece 

 s'approche un pen du Pteris vespertilionis de M. Labillardiere,* 

 mais neanmoins elle en est fort distincte." (I.e.) This observa- 

 tion of his is the more valuable here, inasmuch as he bad just 

 before said of Pt. macilenta that at first sight it more resembled 

 a species of Liiidscea than one of the genus Pteris [supra). 

 And why so ? What was it in particular that called forth that 

 double remark, as it were, at that one time respecting tins fern, 

 Pt. macilenta? I only know of one striking character (or, at 

 most, two) that could have led to it — viz., the lobes being large 

 with their margins entire, and tbe involucre broad and con- 

 tinuous. The figure of Pi. vespertilionis, as given in Labillardiere's 

 large work.t now before me, (which very likely Richard had also 

 before him at the time of his writing,) bears out this supposition, 

 as the lobes of the pinnules are all remarkably entire and free 

 from the least amount of incision or denticulation, not having 

 any even at their tips. 



In conclusion, I may further mention that I have noted the 

 very much larger size of Pt. macilenta ("5 feet high") as given 

 by Hook. f. and Baker, when compared with that given by 

 Richard ; but I may say that I have also seen such large speci- 

 mens of Pt. macilenta in the dry woods at the north ; yet, while 

 possessing such very much larger fronds, it still preserved its 

 peculiarly distinctive and striking characters of small ovate and 

 distant pinnules : which unique specific appearance had caused 

 Sir W. J. Hooker to say respecting it : "It were a great blessing 

 if all Pterises were as distinct as this. It is difficult to say 

 which are its near affinities." (I.e., p. 220.) 



Genus 16. Lomaria, Willdenow. 



1. L. paucijuga, sp. nov. 



Plant small ; caudex (specimen, a top broken off) ascending, 

 1 inch long, hard and woody, as thick as a common lead pencil, 

 with several old stipites and scales on it below the living fronds. 

 Fionds (-1, all sterile,) sub-opposite, or tufted, erect, equal, 

 uniform ; lamina herbaceous, olive-green, ovate, sub-acuminate, 

 3 inches long, 1^ inches broad, pinnatifid ; lobes, 4-5 pairs, 

 short, opposite, oblong. 9 lines lonsf, 5 lines broad, very obtuse, 

 spreading, rugulose, close and slightly overlapping, glabrous 

 (not glossy) on upper surface, largely and finely pilose on under- 

 suriace and on rhachis ; hairs hyaline, jointed ; margined, 

 puckered, much veined ; veins conspicuous, branched, extending 



* This fern is, more recently, said to be identical with Pt. ineisa of Thun- 

 berg, an earlier discovered African and Indian fern; hence the priority of 

 that name. 



t " Novte-Hollandia; 1'lant. Spec," vol. ii., tab. 215. 



