160 31. PTERIS, EUPTERIS 



linear erecto-patent contiguous lobes, which are f-1 in. 1., in. br., and serrated 

 when barren ; lateral pinnae numerous, contiguous, similar to the terminal one, 

 the lower ones much larger, deltoid, and again compound ; texture herbaceous ; 

 rachises bright-coloured like the stipe, both surfaces naked ; veins not conspicuous, 

 simple or once forked, about 1 lin. apart at the base ; sori absent from the upper 

 part of the segm. ; invol. membranous, conspicuous, ^ lin. br. Hk. Sp. 2. 

 p. 189. 



Hab. New Caledonia ; discovered by Mr. C. Moore of Sydney, and since gathered by 

 MM. Vieillard and Deplanche. Mr. Moore says that the fronds are sometimes 10 feet in 

 height. One of M. Deplanche's specimens shows the lower pinnae, which measure nearly 

 1 ft. 1., 9 in. br., and have five large pinnules on each side. 



29. P. heterophylla, L. ; st. wiry, slender, erect, naked, straw-coloured ; fr. 

 6-12 in. 1., 3-6 in. br., ovate-deltoid, tripinnate ; pinnae all, except two or three 

 of the highest, compound, the lowest deltoid, with the pinnl. again pinnatifid ; 

 ult. segm. of the barren frond ovate, sharply and deeply toothed, cuneate and 

 entire at the base, about ^ in. 1., J in. br., of the fertile frond about | in. L, in. br., 

 the tip sterile and toothed ; texture herbaceous, both surfaces naked, bright-green ; 

 veins obscure ; invol. broad, pale, membranous. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 166. 



Hab. West-Indian Islands and Brazil. 



30. P. gracilis, Fee ; st. 6-9 in. 1., slender, erect, wiry, naked, polished, pale ; 

 fr. 9-12 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., deltoid, tri- or even quadripinnate ; only the very upper- 

 most pinnae simple, the lower ones hardly more than 1 in. apart, erecto-patent, 

 with numerous closely-placed pinnl. on each side, the lower ones sometimes with 

 the segm. again compound ; the ult. divisions linear, when simple not much over 

 f in. 1., less than 1 lin. br., those of the barren frond sharply and deeply spinuloso- 

 serrated ; texture herbaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins about | in. 

 apart, simple or once forked ; invol. pale, membranous. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 172. 

 t. 128. A. P. semidentata, Fee, Hk. I. c. 



Hab. New Granada and South Brazil. In some of the specimens with most of the 

 veins simple they anastomose casually in the broader segments, so that it is probable that 

 this is a free-veined form of P. leptophylla, with which in general habit it coincides. 



31. P. laciniata, Willd. ; st. 1 ft. or more L, stout, erect, very hairy ; fr. 2-4 

 ft. 1., 1-2 ft. br., deltoid, tri pinnatifid, the upper part not cut down to the rachis, 

 with oblong entire lobes ^-f in. 1., in. br. ; lower pinnae 12-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., 

 with numerous lanceolate pinnl. on each side, which are cut down to a broadly- 

 winged rachis into lobes which are about ^ in. L, in. br. ; texture herbaceous ; 

 rachis and both surfaces hairy ; veins few, often | in. apart at the base, usually 

 once forked ; sori lateral in the ultimate lobes, but not reaching the apex. 

 Hk. Sp. 2. p. 176. t. 132. B. Lonchitis hirsuta, Linn. 



Hab. Mexico and West Indies southward to Peru. Though in technical character a 

 Pteris, this is far more like the two species of Lonchitis in habit. Lonchitis Ghiesbreyhtii 

 of Linden (Pteris, J. Smith) is a less hairy Mexican variety. 



32. P. arguta, Aiton ; st. 1 ft. or more 1., strong, erect, naked, glossy, bright 

 straw-coloured or reddish-brown ; fr. 1-3 ft. L, 1 ft. or more br. ; terminal pinna 

 6-9 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., made up of numerous contiguous erecto-patent linear lobes 

 about 1 in. 1., 2 lin. br., which reach down nearly to the rachis, and are slightly 

 toothed when barren ; pinnae several in number on each side, similar to the ter- 

 minal one, the lowest forked or with one or two similar smaller pinnl. from the 

 base on the lower side ; texture herbaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins 

 once forked, about 1 lin. distant at the base ; sori nearly lin. br., not usually 

 extending beyond the lower half of the lobes. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 184. 



Hab. Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Canaries. 



