A SYNOPSIS OV THE GENUS SELAGINELLA. 155 



Spikes short, resiipinate, i in. diam. ; bracts very dimorphous, 

 those of the upper plane lanceolate-rhomboid, the lower ones 

 patent ; those of the lower plane suborbicular, with a large strongly- 

 keeled cusp. 



Hab. Himalayas of Nepaul and Assam. 



256. S. GORVALENsis Spring Mon. ii. 256. — Stems slender, 

 trailing, above a foot long, with root-fibres extending to the top, 

 dichotomously forked at the base and upwards, distantly bipinnate, 

 with short ascending slightly compound branches. Leaves of the 

 lower plane slightly spaced except on the branchlets, ascending, 

 ovate-oblong, subobtuse, ^-^ in. long, dark green, firm in texture, 

 very unequal-sided, very cordate, and much imbricated over the 

 stem on the upper side at the base ; leaves of the upper plane half 

 as long, ovate-cuspidate. Spikes short, resupinate, 1 lin. diam. ; 

 bracts obscurely dimorphic, those of the upper plane ovate-lanceo- 

 late, rigidly erecto-patent ; of the lower plane rather shorter, paler, 

 more ventricose, and more ascending. 



Hab. Himalayas ; Gurwhal, Grijfith ! 



Group II. PEONIFLOEiE. 



257. S. iNTEKTEXTA Spring Mon. ii. 237. — Stems very slender, 

 trailing, intermatted, 1-2 in. long, pinnate, the branches erecto- 

 patent, the lower slightly compound. Leaves of the lower plane 

 spaced on the main stem, erecto-patent, suborbicular, subobtuse, 

 ^ lin. long, convex on the face, firmer in texture than in *S'. intcfjev- 

 rima, nearly equal-sided, broadly rounded and strongly ciliated on 

 the upper side at the base, and a little imbricated over the stem ; 

 leaves of the upper plane not much smaller, oblique ovate, cuspi- 

 date. Spikes very short, resuinnate, ^ lin. diam. ; bracts of the 

 upper plane ovate, acute, erecto-patent ; of the lower plane ovate, 

 erect. 



Hab. Philippines, Ouvuiu/ 20151 A very distinct species. 



258. S. xipholepis, n. sp. — Stems slender, decumbent, 2-3 in, 

 long, sometimes forked at the base, the distant erecto-patent 

 branches simple or little compound. Leaves of the lower plane 

 crowded even on the main stem, spreading, oblique ovate, acute, 

 f-l lin. long, bright green, membranous, unequal-sided, very 

 cordate, shortly ciliated, and much imbricated over the stem on 

 the upper side at the base ; leaves of the upper plane half as long, 

 ovate, crowded, shortly cuspidate. Spikes resupinate, ^-i in. long, 

 above 1 lin. diam. ; bracts of the upper plane oblique lanceolate, a 

 hne long, very crowded, stiffly erecto-patent ; of the lower plane 

 ovate-lanceolate, ascending, much imbricated. 



Hab. Hong-kong, C. Wright ! 



259. S. sandvicensis, n. sp. — Stems very slender, decumbent, 

 l|-2 in. long, the root-fibres only near the base, pinnate, the 

 upper branches simple, the lower slightly compound. Leaves of 

 the lower plane spaced on the main stem, contiguous on the 

 branches, erecto-patent, oblique ovate, acute, i lin. long, bright 

 green, membranous, unequal-sided, cordate, shortly ciliated, and 



