DIAGNOSIS OF TWO NEW CHINESE FERNS. 197 



3-liii. latis, scapis compressis basi squamis membranaceis ovato-lanceo- 

 latis cinctis vaginisque 2-8 lanceolatis equitantibus acutis semi-mem- 

 branaceis vestitis, spathis trivalvibus bifloris valvis duabus externis 

 vaginis similibus altera parum minore iutima lanceolata hyalina mem- 

 branacea ovarii basin plerumque attingentibus v. non raro id floris 

 serius evoluti superantibus, floribus diurnis inodoris albidis venisque 

 pallide purpureis percursis, pedicellis ovario aequilongis, perigonii 

 ecristati tubo brevi laciniis exterioribus spatbulato-oblongis obtusis 

 interioribus subduplo brevioribus ex unguieulo angusto subito in lami- 

 nam ei aequilongam oblongam apice retusam explanato, stylis ligulatis 

 perigonii lacinias exteriores sequantibus cristis ad medium, bifidis 

 dimidiato-oblongis extus denticulatis, antheris lamellulam stigmati- 

 cam attingentibus, germine subfusiformi, capsula ? 



In monte mare prospectante, inter Victoria Peak et Mount Davis 

 sito, m. Aprili 1874, copiose crescentera invenit operarius chinensis 

 horti Hongkongensis. (Exsicc. n. 18465.) Ex affinitate Iridis bi- 

 glumis, Vahl., et /. oxijpetalce,'^ Bunge. 



A very interesting discovery, being the only Iris, I believe, yet 

 known as a native of Southern Asia, excluding the extreme west of 

 the continent. 



DIAGNOSIS OF TWO NEW CHINESE FERNS. 

 Br H. F. Hance, Ph.D., &c. 



1. Adiantum Gravesh, sp. nov. — Ehizomate brevissimo paleis subu- 

 latis atrofuscis vestito, stipitibus pollicaribus cum rachi subflexuosa 

 lis 2-3 -plo longiore capillaceis teretibus ebeneis glaberrimis, lamina 

 simpliciter pinnatisecta lineari segmentis membranaceis alternis utrin- 

 que 6-8-nis 2-3 lin. inter se distantibus baud dimidiatis obcordato- 

 cuneatis 2|-3 lin. longis petiolo ebeneo iis \ breviore suffultis integer- 

 rimis margine tenui hyalino circumdatis venis flabellato-dichotomis 

 tenuibus pellucidis in sinu terminali lato parum excavato monosoris, 

 indusio spurio transverse oblongo sublunate Isete brunneo conspicue 

 pallide marginato. 



* In a note from Prof. Oliver, received some while ago, he writes : — " Mr. 

 Baker refers /. oxypetala to /. trijiora, common in Asia." No authority is given 

 for the name, but I presume he means the plant so called by Balbis. By some 

 strange oversight this, though given as a native of Southern Europe by Spach 

 (Ann. sc. nat. 3e ser. v. 98), and of Italy by D. Dietrich (Synops. plant, i., l43), 

 is omitted from every South European Flora I have consulted. There is no 

 notice of it in Reichenbach's "Flora excursoria," or Schauer's edition of BluflF 

 and Fingerhuth's " Compendium," nor does it occur in the Italian Floras of 

 Bertoloni, Gussone, or Parlatore ; it is wanting in Visiani's " Flora Dalmatica," 

 Schlosser and Vakotinovic's "Flora Croatica," Grenier and Godron's "Flore 

 de France," Willkomm and Lange's "Prodromus Floras Hispanica?," and is 

 equally overlooked in Nyman's excellent " Sylloge Flora Europaese." I do not, 

 of course, contest the legitimacy of Mr. Baker's reduction ; and, indeed, I do 

 not know the European /. trijiora ; but I may remark that Spach expressly 

 attributes to it *' sepala ohtusissima, interna saepe inciso-dentata " ; whereas 

 Bunge's plant derives its specific name from from its acute perigone-segment8,all 

 of which are invariably (so far as the specimens I have examined justify me in 

 so saying) entire. 



