172 31. PTERIS, LITOBROCHIA. 



mosing once only between the midrib and margin ; sort not reaching the tip of 

 the segm. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 216. Gard. Ferns, t. 23. 



Hab. Brazil. 



81. P. (Lito.) incisa, Thunbg. ; st. stout, erect, polished, straw-coloured or 

 bright-brown, sometimes slightly muricated towards the base ; fr. often several 

 ft. 1., bi- or tripinnate, only the uppermost pinnae simply pinnate with entire 

 linear-oblong pinnl., those next in order with numerous pinnatifid pinnules 

 2-3 in. 1., about f in. br., in opposite pairs, the lowest often quite close to the 

 stem, reduced in size and their segments dilated, the lowest pinnte often very 

 large and compound ; texture herbaceous or subcoriaceous ; under surface often 

 glaucous ; veins free or more or less anastomosing ; sori interrupted or con- 

 tinuous, often reaching the point of the segments. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 230. P. Ves- 

 pertilionis, Labill. P sinuata, Brack. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 232. /3, P. aurita, 

 Blume ; lowest pair of pinnules quite simple and closely adpressed to the stem 

 at the base of the pinnae. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 231. 



Hab. Tropical America from West Indies and Columbia southward to Chili, Juan 

 Fernandez, and Brazil ; Polynesia ; Himalayas, and Formosa, southward to New 

 Zealand, Van Diemen's Land, and Ceylon ; Mascaren Isles, Cape Colony, West Tropical 

 Africa. A very variable plant in size, cutting, texture, and venation. It is often 

 scandent, with long spreading rigid branches, and is said to attain a length of 10 yards. 

 In a form gathered by Capt. Carmichael in the island of Tristan d'Acunha, the veins do 

 not anastomose at all ; often there is only a single arch on each side of the costa at the 

 base of a segment, and in specimens, otherwise quite similar, there is copious joining 

 towards the edge. Sometimes the sori are confined to the sinuses, as in Lonchitis. 



*** Tripartite. Sp. 82-87. 



82. P. (Lito.) marginata, Bory ; st. 1 ft. or more 1., strong, erect, naked, 

 polished, straw-coloured or brownish ; fr. tripartite, the central portion 2 ft. 1. or 

 more ; terminal pinna 6-9 in. 1., -1 in. br., cut down nearly to the rachis into 

 numerous closely-placed linear lobes on each side, which are very slightly 

 toothed when barren ; lateral pinnae very numerous, closely placed, all un- 

 branched ; lateral divisions similar to the central one but smaller, sometimes 

 forked again ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; texture usually herbaceous ; 

 veins fine, anastomosing principally in arches against the midrib ; sori falling 

 rather short of the point of the segments. P. tripartite, /?w. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 225. 

 excl. /3 and y. 



Hab. Polynesian and Malayan Islands from the Philippines southward to the Isle 

 of Pines, Erromanga, Queensland ; Malayan Peninsula, Ceylon, Sylhet, Seychelles, 

 Mauritius, Kaffraria, and West Tropical Africa. P. heterophlebia, Kunze, Bot. Zeit. 6. 

 p. 197, is probably a form of this with the veins usually only anastomosing once between 

 the midrib and edge of the segments. 



83. P. (Lito.) Luschnathiana, Baker ; st. 2 ft. 1., strong, erect, naked, straw- 

 coloured ; fr. tripartite, with the three divisions nearly equal ; terminal pinna 

 6-9 in. 1., 1^ in. br., cut down to a broadly-winged rachis, into numerous 

 narrow falcate linear lobes with a broad sinus between them, which are finely 

 spinuloso-serrated when barren ; lateral pinnce numerous, similar, the lowest 

 2 in. below the next, not forked ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins fine, 

 scarcely anastomosing in the ultimate segments except in costal arches in the 

 lower half; sori falling short of the point. Campteria, Klotzsch. 



Hab. Brazil, Luschnath. Seems a variety of aculeata. 



84. P. (Lito.) podophylla, Swartz ; st. 4 ft. 1. or more, -f in. thick at the 

 base, muricated below, straw-coloured, glossy ; fr. ample, ternately divided ; 

 terminal pinna 6 in. 1. or more, 1-1^ in. br., cut down two-thirds of the way to 

 the rachis into numerous linear-oblong falcate lobes, which are finely spinuloso- 



