86 Christmas Fern 
sometimes short-acuminate, linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceo- 
late, often somewhat falcate, half-halberd-shaped at base, occa- 
sionally serrate or obliquely incised or pinnately parted into oval 
or ellipsoidal or roundish-oblong sometimes distant segments, 
which are often auricled on the upper side, only upper pinnz of 
sporophylls, or in sporophylls with cleft pinne the tips or more 
of the lower pinnz also, soriferous; soriferous parts of blade 
somewhat contracted: margins serrulate with appressed spinu- 
lose teeth: rachis chaffy with pale brown, lanceolate or linear or 
sometimes ovate, acuminate, ciliate scales: lower surface more or 
less paleaceous, especially along midveins, the upper somewhat 
so: color deep, lustrous green: texture subcoriaceous. 
Venation pinnate, free or with occasional areolz: primary 
branches of pinnz’s midveins mostly simple at apex with two 
simple alternate branches below, the basal one on upper side; 
or bearing a few branches which are commonly simple or, in basal 
lobes of pinne, once-forked or at apex simple with two simple 
branches below: primary branches of midveins of cleft pinne 
more complex; in pinnatifid pinne constituting midveins of 
segments, their branches simple or once-forked or the superior 
basal sometimes bearing a few simple or once-forked branches. 
Sori small, apical or sometimes dorsal on the simple branches 
of primary branches of pinnz’s midveins, or on the inner or 
both of basal veinlets of the compound, mostly becoming con- 
fluent, an oval spot visible beneath each sorus: indusia orbicular, 
subentire or partly crenulate or suberose. 
Spores ovoid or bean-shaped, with conspicuous, irregular, 
wing-like borders. 
Habitat. Woodlands, especially open woods, wooded banks 
and stone walls: often among rocks. 
