ASPLENIE^ — STENOCHLAENA. 89 



the apex, sharply but finely toothed, sessile, not articulate to the rachis 

 and without a gland, coriaceous, glabrous; fertile pinna? 15 to 25 cm. long, 

 about 1 cm. broad, the lower ones 1 cm. apart. 



Luzon, Cumitig 226. 



Salomon Islands. 



S. fraxinifolia Presl Epim. Bot., p. 164. Pinnije stalked; the sterile 

 oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, subacute and equal at the base; fertile pinnae 

 narrowly linear. This plant is included by J. Smith inider 8. scandens, 

 and placed by Presl close to »S>. laurifolia, but with a different charac- 

 terization of the latter from that just given. 



Negros, Cuming 3i7. 



(33) BLECHNUM Linnaeus. 



Sterile fronds with free veins (except in B. areolare) , fertile with a 

 series of areolae along the costa, otherwise free; sori along the far side 

 of these areolae, linear, usually continuous, parallel to the costa, sometimes 

 spreading over the parenchyma ; indusium the shape of the sorus, opening 

 on the costal side. Mostly terrestrial ferns of moderate size, with erect 

 caudices. The two sections are usually treated as genera, but are not 

 sufficiently distinct. 



1. § Eublechnum : sori close to the costa ; fertile and sterile fronds 

 not exceedingly different. 



2. Fronds pinnatifld (1) B. nitidum 



2. Fronds pinnate. 



3. Lower pinnfo contracted at base (2) B. orientale 



3. Pinnae witli spreading, adherent base (3) B. egregium 



1. § Lomaria: sori occupying most of the space from costa to 

 margin ; fronds decidedly dimorphous. 

 2. Simply pinnate. 



3. Sterile frond with costal areolae (4) B. areolaris 



3. Sterile frond with free veins (5) B. capensc 



2. Bipinnate (6) B. Fraseri 



(1) B. nitidum Presl. Stipes stout, erect, naked, 10 cm. high; frond 

 oblong-lanceolate, 30 cm. or more long, 10 to 15 cm. broad; pinnae numerous, 

 erecto-patent, subfalcate, linear, 10 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, narrowed 

 gradually toward the point, dilated and connected at the base, the edge 

 undulato-crenate, the lower ones linear-acute and not much smaller than 

 the rest; texture coriaceous, both surfaces and rachis naked; veins fine; 

 sori in a continuous line close to the midrib; indusium conspicuous. 



Luzon, Cuming 164; Sorsogon, Haenke. 

 India, Polynesia, southern Brazil. 



(2) B. orientale L. Caudex erect, often subarborescent, clothed at the 

 crown with fibrillose, dark-brown scales; stipe 15 to 30 cm. high, strong, 

 erect, scaly at the base; frond 40 to 100 cm. high, ovate, with very numerous 

 close linear pinnae; pinnae 10 to 25 cm. long, 1 cm. broad, narrowed to a 

 long point, contracted to a sessile base, the upper ones decurrent, the lowest 

 abruptly reduced to mere auricles striujg along the stipe; subcoriaceous, 

 glabrous; sori in a long continuous line close to the midrib. 



Isabela, M'arburg 11975; Benguet, Loher, FAmer, 5824, Topping 24.3, 298; 



