124 ^'o'- XLIII., Art. 1.— K. Yenclo: 



Definition of the species. Root, holdfast of hemispherical shape 

 in general outline, with the rhizines at first thick and complanated, 

 and broadened outwards, soon ramifying quickly and irregularly, 

 each final segment terminating in a hapter. Blade linear-lanceolate, 

 1-2 meters in length, 4-8 cm. in breadth, coriaceous, crypto- 

 stomata wanting, margin entire, but splitting obliquely or almost 

 transversely to the midrib in the older part, outer border of seg- 

 ments often subulate and curved upwards ; base acute or tapering, 

 not rarely more or less abruptly expanding upwards. Stipe 4-10 

 cm.'-' in length, cylindrical below, 2-5 mm.'^' in diameter, terete 

 above, suddenly narrowed at the transition point. Midrib smooth, 

 complanated, 4-6 mm."'^ broad but sometimes as broad as 9.5 mm.* 

 in the dried specimens, prominent above the blade equally on both 

 surfaces with angulate edges. Sporophylls metasoric, numerous, 

 fasciculate, condensed to a broadened short length near the upper 

 end of the stipe, adding new ones upwards as well as between 

 the older ones, long, linear, 6-10-15 mm.'-' in breadth, 25-40 cm."* 

 in length, attenuated towards the base, ending in filiform petioles, 

 round or acute at the apices. Sori gradually fading towards the 

 apex of sporophyll.^) 



Remarks on the limit of variation. The present and the next 

 species have various peculiarities in common, so that one may bo 

 taken as a variety of the other. Still, as both are pretty safely 

 separable from each other by the shapes of the sporophylls, I 

 choose to keep them both in specific rank. When yet young, a 

 few sporophylls are produced from the margins of the stipe more 

 or less apart. In such a stage of development, the plant may be 

 taken as a young form of A. esculenta, A. prceJonga, or the like. 



1) The sterile, upper portions of the s^jorophylls remain in heahhy condition for a 

 considerable time. In some specimens the portions are maculated in the manner of shagreen 

 leather. 



