52 13. DICKSONIA, PATANIA. 



lower divisions of the pinnl. deltoid-acuminate, their segments cut down to the 

 rachis, except at the very apex, with ovate-rhomboidal, acute, sharply, and deeply- 

 toothed lobes ; texture coriaceous ; upper surface naked, lower naked, or somV 

 what hairy ; sori 2 to 12 to a lobe, minute, orbicular ; the outer valve large, 

 cucullate, the inner one inconspicuous. Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 71. Carruth, Ft. Vit. 

 p. 335. D. Torreyana, Brack, t. 38. /. 2. 



Hab. New Caledonia, Aneitum, Fiji group and other Polynesian islands. 



15. D. Plumieri, Hk. ; fr. bipinnate ; lower pinnce 12-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br. ; 

 lower pinnl. lanceolate-triangular, 6-8 in. 1., 2-3 in. br., cut down at the lower 

 part to the rachis, with linear-acuminate broadly- toothed segments ; upper pinnl. 

 linear only, slightly lobed ; rachis and surface quite naked ; texture herbaceous ; 

 lateral veins of the segments simple or once or twice forked ; sori 2 to 20 to a 

 segment ; invol. small, membranaceous, suborbicular, deeply 2-valved, the outer 

 valve at length cucullate. Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. 72. D. Lindeni, Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. 72. 

 t. 25. B. Davallia adiantoides, Swartz, Grisebach. Cibotium, Presl. 



Hab. West Indian Islands and Columbia. At first the involucre is that of a Davallia 

 rather than a Dicksonia, but the outer valve is ultimately hooded. Adiantoides is the 

 oldest specific name. 



16. D. sorbifolia, Smith ; fr. bipinnate ; lower pinnce about 1 ft. 1., 3-4 in. br. ; 

 pinnl. slightly stalked, linear, truncate or cordate at the base, undivided, with 

 small sharp serrations towards the apex ; rachis naked or slightly hairy ; tex- 

 ture subcoriaceous ; lateral veins of the segments usually once forked ; sori very 

 numerous to a pinnule ; invol. subglobose, membranaceous ; outer valve cucullate. 

 Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 72. t. 25. A. 



Hab. Moluccas and Isle of Henimoe, Hindostan. 



17. D. abrupta, Bory ; fr. simply pinnate, 12-18 in. 1., 4-6 in. br. ; pinnce ses- 

 sile, lanceolate, hardly toothed, the lower about 3 in. 1., 1 in. br., the two halves 

 rather unequal, the base of the upper one truncate, that of the lower slightly auri- 

 culate ; rachis naked ; texture coriaceous ; veins close, fine, inconspicuous ; fertile 

 pinnce narrow, acuminate ; sori numerous, placed along both edges ; outer valve 

 reniform, nearly a line broad, inner smaller, suborbicular. Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 72. 

 Nephrolepis, Mett. Leptopleuria, Presl. 



Hab. Bourbon. Very like Nephrolepis davallioides in habit and general appearance. 



Patania, Presl. Dennstsedia, Bernh., Moore. Involucre cup-shaped, not 

 at all or only very indistinctly 2-valved. Sp. 18-29. 



* Fronds ample ; lower pinnce 9-24 in. in length. Sp. 18-25. 



18. D. adiantoides, H. B. K. ; rhizome creeping ; fr. bipinnate ; lower pinnce 

 12-24 in. 1., 6-12 in. br. ; pinnl. linear, cut down in the lower part nearly to the 

 rachis ; the segm. oblong-rhomboidal, blunt, with 2' to 4 bluntish lobes in each 

 side, which do not reach half-way to the rachis ; texture herbaceous, under surface 

 and rachises finely hairy ; sori 2 to 8 to a segment, placed at the base of the 

 sinuses, about $ line across ; invol. cup-shaped. Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 75. t. 26. B. 

 D. erosa, Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 75. D. obtusa, Moritz. D. consanguinea, 

 Klotzsch. D. dissecta, Grisebach, non Hooker. D. obtusifolia, Willd. (oldest 

 name). 



Hab. Tropical America, from the West Indies southward to Brazil. Fronds often 

 12 ft. 1. ; segments of the lower pinnules |-1 in. 1., % in. br. D. Sprucci, Moore, seems 

 clcsely allied to this ; but our specimens are very imperfect. 



