A SYNOPSIS OF THE GENUS SELAGINELLA. 117 



shortly ciliated, and much imbricated over the stem ; leaves of the 

 upper plane miuiito, oblique ovate, with a short cusp. Spikes 

 short, square, ^ lin. diam. ; bracts ovate-cuspidate, acutely keeled. 

 Hab. Cuba, Wn'i/ht 3910 ! A near ally of S. caulescens. 



235. S. PULCHERRiMA Liebui. — Stems above a foot long, 

 stramineous, erect, simple, with adpressed leaves in the lower 

 two-thirds, deltoid and decompound in the upper third, with 

 3-4-pinnate close deltoid pinnae, with ascending contiguous ultimate 

 segments ^-1^ in. long, 1 lin. broad. Leaves of the lower plane 

 crowded, ascending, ovate, falcate, acute, bright green, rigid, 

 -| lin. long, not ciliated, dilated, broadly rounded, and imbricated 

 over the stem on the upper side at the base ; leaves of the upper 

 plane minute, oblique ovate, cuspidate, incurved. Spikes square, 

 \-^ in. long, ^ lin. diam. ; bracts ovate-cuspidate, strongly keeled. 



Hab. Hacienda de Java, Mexico, Liehmann ! Midway between 

 caulescens and Jiahellatu. 



236. S. coARCTATA Spring Mon. ii. 164. — Stems stiffly erect, 

 stramineous, about a foot long, simple and nearly leafless in the 

 lower part, compound and pubescent upwards ; pinnae petioled, 

 ascending, conduplicate ; pinnules subflabellately compound. 

 Leaves of the lower plane very crowded, ascending, falcate, ovate, 

 acute, ^ lin. long, rigid, minutely serrulate, with an obscure midrib 

 and revolute edges ; leaves of the upper plane scarcely smaller, very 

 crowded, ovate, mucronate. Spikes very short ; bracts ovate- 

 lanceolate, squarrose. 



Hab. On the Rio Negro, at Mount Aracoara, Martias. Easily 

 marked in the group by the leaves of both planes being nearly 

 uniform in shape and size. 



237. S. rionegrensis, n. sp. — Stems about a foot long, stra- 

 mineous, stiffly erect, unbranched in the lower half, the upper 

 leaves of this part slightly spreading, deltoid and decompound in 

 the upper half, the branching of the 2-3-pinnate deltoid ascending 

 pinnae between flabellate and compound, the ultimate divisions 

 reaching 2-3 in. long, ^-^ in. broad. Leaves of the lower plane 

 crowded, ascending, ovate, acute, ^-1 lin. long, bright green, rigid, 

 slightly dilated on the upper side at the base, broadly rounded, 

 obscurely ciliated, much imbricated over the stem ; leaves of the 

 upper plane one-third as long, oblique ovate, not cuspidate. Spikes 

 square, i-l^ in. long, f-1 lin. diam. ; bracts rigid, lanceolate - 

 deltoid, acuminate, strongly keeled. 



Hab. On the Rio Negro, near San Carlos, Spruce 2501 ! 



238. S. PUBEKULA Spring Mon. ii. 165. • — - Stems erect, stra- 

 mineous, reaching a length of 2-3 ft., simple towards the base, 

 branched upwards, pubescent; pinnfe short, erecto-patent, sparingly 

 compound ; pinnules few, distant. Leaves of the lower plane ovate, 

 contiguous, ascending, falcate, very acute, bright green, rigid, 

 ^-1 lin. long, dilated on the upper side at the base, distinctly 

 ciliated, and imbricated over the stem ; leaves of the upper plane 

 half as long, oblique ovate, serrulate, cuspidate. Spikes short, 

 square, 1 lin. diam. ; bracts ovate-cuspidate, strongly keeled. 



Hab. British Guiana, Rkkd. Schomburyh 979 ! Padauiri 



