TAB. CCXIII. CCXIV. CCXV. 
ALSOPHILA ASPERA. 
FILICES.—GrnATz. Br. PoryropiACER. Kaulf.  Frrrczs vere. Willd., Spreng. 
Gzx. Cuan. J44LSOPHILA, Br. Sori globosi, sparsi, receptaculo elevato e divisione venz orto 
msertü.  Zndusia infra sorum inserta, lacero-multifida, quandoque obsoleta. 
ALSOPHILA aspera (Br.); caudice arborescente cicatricato superne frondoso, stipitibus muricatis, 
frondibus ovatis bipinnatis, pinnulis oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis coriaceis glabris brevissime 
petiolatis profunde pinnatifidis basi truncatis, laciniis oblongis obtusis marginibus recurvis 
integerrimis. 
Cyathea aspera. Swartz, Syn. Fil. p.139? JF'illd. Sp. Pl. v. 5. p. 496? Kaulf. Enum. Fil. 
p. 260? | 
Polypodium asperum. — Linz. Sp. Pl. p. 1555? 
Filix arborescens spinosa, pinnulis in summitate serratis. — Plum. Fil. p.463? 
Has. Insula Jamaicz. Gwl. Bancroft, M.D. 
Caudex 20—25-pedalis, erectus, simplex, teres, 39—4 uncias latus, cicatricatus ; Cicatricibus magnis, ovato-acuminatis, 
vasibus tubulosis quasi punctatis; inferne nudiusculus, superne squamosus, frondosus ; frondibus patentibus, 
numerosis. 
Stipes bipedalis et ultra, digitis crassitie, teres, glaber, fuscus, facie anteriore profunde sulcatus, dorso prsecipue 
spinis brevibus sparsis muricatus. 
Trondes circumscriptione ovatee, subattenuatze, bipinnatm; pinnis primariis ovalibus; secundariis seu pinnulis 
digitem longis, oblongo-lanceolatis, attenuatis, subcoriaceis, basi truncatis, brevissime petiolatis, profunde 
pinnatifidis, nunc, in parte inferiore, pinnatis; segmentis oblongo-ovalibus, obtusis paululum falcatis; mar- 
ginibus plerumque recurvatis, integerrimis vel crenato-serratis, ad apicem usque floriferis. achides primarie 
et secundaric nervique supra appresso-pubescentes, subtus glabre, remote paleacez; palece bullatz, laci- 
niate, primarie nunc aculeato-tuberculate, nunc omnino leves. 
Sori in nervos laterales intra marginem et costam, globoso-hemisphierici. 
Iwcolucrum obsoletum, ut videtur, vix ullum ; ad basin infra sorum squamam minutam in ambitu paululum lacera- 
tam peltatam invenimus. 
Capsule densissime compactee, globosse, fuscze, annulo lato fere completo cinctee, stipitatee, receptaculo communi . 
haemispheerico insertze. 
Semina triangularia, pellucida, flavo-viridia. 
Tas. CCXIII. Fig. 1. Caudicis portio, cum basibus stipitum; et f. 2. Stipes:—magn. auct. f. 8. Squama. 
f. 4. Squamse supremze portio :—magn. auct. f. 5. Cicatrix a parte inferiore caudicis. 
Tas. COXIV. Fig. 1. Frons 1 magn. nat. 
Tas. CCXV. Fig. 1. Pinna primaria; et f. 2. Pinnula:—magn. nat. f.3. Pinnule lacinia cum soris. f. 4. Squama 
seu palea. f. 5. Receptaculum cum capsulis. f. 6. Capsula. f. 7. Semina:—magn. auct. 
It has long been our wish to give figures and descriptions of the aróorescent Ferns; but the 
difficulty of procuring perfect specimens of the caudex and fronds has hitherto prevented us. 
Dr. Bancroft has obligingly communicated some from Jamaica, and among them the present one. 
But though apparently a very common species in that island, and, from its size and beauty, forming 
a remarkable feature in the landscape; and though we have received portions of the fronds of what 
we consider to be the same species from other of the West Indian islands and from the continent 
of South America, we cannot satisfactorily refer it to any described species. Still, believing that 
the ZHee-Ferns may be liable to much variation in their native soil, we have joined it, though 
doubtfully, to the Cyathea aspera of Swartz and Willdenow,—the z/sophila aspera of Mr. Brown. 
The original authority for that plant seems to be ix arborescens &c. of Plumier, F7. 1.3. ; and 
there the primary and secondary rachides are densely prickly, which is by no means the case with 
