31. PTERIS, LITOBROCHIA. 1G9 



Hab. Discovered at or near Elephants' Bay, West Tropical Africa, by the late Dr. 

 Curror, and fine specimens were procured, on the mountains of Fernando Po at 3-500 ft., 

 by Gustave Mann. /3, which is not unlikely a distinct species, was gathered on the 

 Niger expedition by Barter, who describes the rhizome as creeping. This comes very 

 near Lonchitis in texture, and the sori are often only reniform, and show a decided 

 preference for the sinuses. 



66. P. (Lito.) denticulata, Swartz ; st. about 1 ft. 1., slender, wiry, naked ; 

 fr. 12-24 in. 1., 8-12 in. br. ; upper pinna simple, linear, 4-6 in. 1., |- in. br., 

 united at the base, finely spinuloso-serrated when barren, those next in order 

 quite cut down to the rachis and forked, the lower ones often pinnatifid with 

 several linear pinnnl., especially on the lower side ; teitfwre.subcoriaceous ; veins 

 fine, anastomosing copiously ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; sori not quite 

 reaching the point of the pinnules. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 215. Ilk. & Gr. t. 28. 

 /3, P. brasiliensis, Raddi ; pinnce broader, 6-9 in. 1., 1 in. br., more compound. 

 Hk. Sp. 2. p. 21 4. 



Hab. Tropical America, from the West Indies southward to Brazil. The typical form 

 much resembles cretica in general aspect. 



67. P. (Lito.) Hcenkeana, Presl ; st. 1-3 ft. 1., pale, firm, naked ; fr. several 

 ft. 1., the upper part with numerous, simple, linear pinnce on both sides, which 

 are 6-9 in. 1., 1-1^ in. br., acuminate at the point, narrowed gradually towards the 

 base, the lower ones slightly stalked and about 2 in. apart, the barren ones 

 finely spinuloso-serrated, the lower pinnse often 1 ft. or more 1., spreading with 

 numerous similar pinnl.; texture coriaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; 

 veins fine, clearly visible, anastomosing copiously ; sori not quite reaching the 

 point of the pinnules. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 213. 



Hab. Tropical America, from Guatemala and New Granada southward to Peru. 



68. P. (Lito.) pulchra, Schlecht. ; st. strong, erect, naked, polished, straw- 

 coloured ; fr. ample, simply pinnate above, with numerous sessile linear, 

 acuminate pinnce on each side, which are 4-6 in. 1., -f in. br., slightly serrated 

 towards the point, lower pinnae simply pinnate, 1 ft. or more 1., 6-9 in. br., 

 nearly opposite, 1 in. or more apart ; texture coriaceous ; rachis and both 

 surfaces naked ; veins fine and numerous ; sori not extending to the apex of the 

 pinnules, ultimately concealing the invol. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 213. P. mexicana, Fee. 



Hab. Mexico, ascending to 5,000 feet. 



69. P. (Lito.) macroptera, Link ; st. 1 ft. or more 1., erect, naked, polished, 

 straw-coloured or brownish ; fr. 2 ft. or more 1., 12-18 in. br., cut down very 

 nearly to the rachis in the upper part into numerous linear lobes, the lowest 

 of which are 6-9 in. 1., ^ in. br., with about 1 in. between them at the base, the 

 point narrowed very gradually and very faintly toothed when barren ; lot. 

 pinnce few, often a single pair only, like the terminal one, but smaller ; texture 

 papyraceo-herbaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins fine but con- 

 spicuous ; sori not reaching the apex of the segments. L. angustata, Fee, 



Hab. Brazil, Burchell, &c. 



70. P. (Lito.) vestita, Baker ; st. slender, erect, 1 ft. or more 1., villose when 

 young, straw-coloured or brownish ; fr. 18-24 in. 1. ; terminal pinna 12-15 in. 1., 

 2J in. hr., cut down to a broadly-winged rachis into numerous lobes on both 

 sides, the upper ones close, the lower ones 1 j in. L, f in. br., falcate with a space 

 between them ; lateral pinnce two on each side (in our specimens), spreading, 

 like the terminal one but smaller, caudate at the point ; main rachis and those 

 of the pinnae densely villose ; both surfaces hairy ; veins fine, anastomosing 

 copiously ; sori confined to the inner two-thirds of the segments ; invol. con- 

 sisting principally of a dense fringe of strong hairs. 



Hab. Peru, Spruce, 4063. Habit most like the next, but the pinnse much larger and 

 fever. 



Y 



