VITTA RI E.E — VITT A RI A . 107 



(47) VITTARIA Smith. 



Rhizome creeping; fronds gr.iss-like, more or less tufted; veins free; sori 

 in continuous marginal or intramarginal lines. Epiphytes in moist forests, 

 very common. There is no genus of ferns whose species are more difficult 

 of determination. The following list by no means exhausts the Philippine 

 species; but includes all of whose identity and distinctness I feel certain. 



1. Sorus in a two-lipped marginal groove (1) V. elongata 



1. Sorus a slightly intramarginal line, with the margin rolled 

 back over it at first. 

 2. Sorus narrow, fronds thick. 



.?.. Sori subimraersed (2) V. lincata 



3. Sori immersed (3) V. falcata 



2. Sorus broad, fronds thin (4) V. scolopendrina 



(1) V. elongata Sw. Fronds 15 to 60 cm. long, seldom 1 cm. broad, 

 acute or obtuse, coriaceous; veins simple, oblique, immersed, parallel, con- 

 nected by the intramai-ginal soriferous veinlet; sori quite sunk in a marginal 

 groove with two nearly equal lips opening outward. As defined here, this 

 species includes V. ensiformis Sw., collected in Luzon by Cuming, nos. 28 

 and 70, and several other rather diverse forms. 



Malauipa, Zamboanga, Challenger Exp.; Jolo Archipelago, Burbidge; 

 Benguet and Rizal, Loher; Mount Mariveles, Copeland 1401 ; ^Mount Apo, 

 Copeland 992. 



Tropics of Eastern Hemisphere. 



(2) V. lineata Sw. Frond 15 to 50 cm. long, less than 1 cm. broad, at- 

 tenuate below, passing insensibly into the stipe, coriaceous; costa reaching 

 the apex, veins immersed, parallel, oblique; sorus intramarginal in a 

 shallow groove, protected when yomig by the margin of the frond. 



Benguet, Loher, Topping 219, Elmer 6125, 6277; Mount Arayat, Loher, 

 Merrill; Mount Mariveles, Copeland 221, 222; southern Luzon, Barandu ; 

 Negros, Copeland 57. 



Pantropic. 



V. lineata, var. trichoides Christ. Differs from the typical form in 

 liaving fronds only one-half mm. broad, and the margin so folded over the 

 sorus that it may scarcely appear. 



Davao, M'arhurg 14151. 



(3) V. falcata Kunze. Frond 10 to 15 cm. long, 3 mm. broad, obtuse, 

 narrowed gradually to the base, very thick; costa reaching the apex of the 

 sterile but not of the fertile fronds, veins short, oblique, parallel, immersed; 

 sori quite sunk in slightly intramarginal gi'ooves. Y. minor F6e is a 

 smaller fern included here. 



Rizal, Loher. 

 Malaya. 



(4) V. scolopendrina Mctt. Fronds 30 to 50 cm. long, 1 to 2 cm. broad, 

 acute, contracted gradually to the base, coriaceous, but not exceedingly 

 thick; costa thick, veins fine, oblique, simple; sorus in a rather broad 

 submarginal groove protruding slightly from the upper surface, protected 

 at first by the margin. 



C'atanduancs, Baranda ; Davao, Wfirhttrg 14152. 

 Paleotropic. 



