Tili; rrc'An;.K or .JAr.w. 107 



bninchcs which ww st'tit olV more or less ulternutc-piiniately t'roiii 

 the priiicii)nl stem. In a well i;rowii individual tlie total length 

 of the I'rontl measures 2-Ö feet. While the i)rimary and also 

 the juineipal branches are yet very young- they are cylindrical 

 but densely beset with small, sharp, spinous processes. The 

 leaves on them are linear-spathulate or obovate, often attaining 

 7 cm. in length. They are thick and coreaceous in substance, 

 evanescently costated, with sparingly dentated or entire margin, 

 and frosted with many cryptostomata. 



As the plant further develops the basal leaves on the lower 

 portion of the primary stem fall oft', leaving prominent angulate 

 elevations on its surface. The principal branches elongate up- 

 ward, the leaves gradually decreasing in size, and send out 

 eventually u lateral branch from the axil of each new leaf. The 

 fulcrant leaves seem to dro}) oft" soon after the lateral branches 

 have appeared, but the large basal leaves often remain solitarily 

 for a considerable time. The lateral branches and the upper 

 portions of the principal branches are mostly smooth and cylin- 

 drical but frequently are subangulate. 



The leaves on the lateral branches vary considerably in size 

 and shape. It is owing to this character and to the length of 

 the ultimate branchlets that the fronds of the present species 

 are frequently quite dissimilar. The average leaves on a sterile 

 branch are linear-lanceolate, 3-4 cm. long and 3-4 mm. or less 

 wide, acute at the apices and tapering downwards into filiform 

 petioles; the margin is entire, the substance thin and papyraceous, 

 and several prominent cryptostomata are found in a series along the 

 median of each lamina. We occasionally meet with a specimen 

 in which the cryptostomata are hardly detectable. The leaves on 

 the fertile ramulets are mostly filiform or narrowly linear-clavate. 



