TAB. LXXI. 



ASPLENIUM ENSIFORME 



EILICES.-GyKATiE. Br. PoLyPociACEiE. Kaulf. Filices vewe. Willd., Spreng. 



I 



Gen. Char. ASPLENIUM, Linn. Sori lineares, sparsi, dorsales. Involucrum e vena lateraliter 



ortum ducens, margine superiore libero. Br. 



Asplenium ensiforme; fronde simplici lineari-lanceolata acuminata integerrima, basi in stipitem 



attenuata, soris costae oblique parallelis, involucro denticulato reflexo 



? 



Asplenium ensiforme. Wall. MSS. 

 Asplenium Phyllitidis. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. p. 7 r 

 Hab. In arboribus Nepaliae. Wallkh. 



Radix caespitosa, e fibris numerosissimisj capillaribus, ramosis, nigro-fuscis. 



Frondes plurimae ex eadem radice, erectae, magnitudine variantes, nunc 6—8 pollicares, nunc pedales sesqui- 



pedalesque, lineari-lanceolatae, subcoriaceae, margine integerrimae, apice valde acuminatae, inferne in stipitem 

 bi-quadriunciam longum, sensim attenuatae. Stipes fuscus, basi paleaceo-squamosus, squamis lanceolato- 

 subulatis, intense fuscis. Costa frondis subtus prominens, nervis oblique parallelis, simplicibus furcatisve, 

 obscuris. 



* 



Sori numerosi, frondis totum dorsum occupantes a basi fere ad apicem, costse oblique paralleli, inferiores fere 



omnino paralleli, lineares. 



Involucrum membranaceum, pallide fuscum, margine denticulatum, cito reflexum atque persistens. 

 Capsulce numerosissimae, sublonge pedicellatae, intense fuscae, annulo lato intense flavo. 



* 



Semina flavo-fusca, subovalia, nunc margine granulata. 



Fig. 1. Portio frondis cum soris. f. 2. Capsulae. f. S. Semina: — magn. auct. 



We have received specimens of this very distinct Asplenium both from Dr. Wallich and the 

 Honourable the Directors of the East India Company. It is probably Mr. Don's A. Phyllitidis ; 

 but we think ourselves bound to preserve the name given to the plant by its estimable discoverer, 

 Dr. Wallich. There are but few species of the genus with entirely simple fronds ; and those have 



- 



all, except the present species^ the sori arranged in a much more horizontal direction from the 

 costa. Here they are in the lower part of the frond, at least, almost parallel with the midrib ; and 



■ 



the rest form a very acute angle with it. Another remarkable character is, that the involucrum 

 (besides being denticulate), as soon as it opens^ is reflected upon the frond^ so as to expose the 

 whole cluster of capsules ; and it remains there even after the capsules are dispersed. 



