208 38. ASPLENIUM, EUASPLENIUM. 



Hab. Cape Colony, northward to Angola, Zambesi Land, Bourbon, Mauritius, and 

 Madagascar. Very near A. obtusatum, of which it may be an African form. Schlech- 

 tendahl referred it to Forster's lucidum. The oinnse vary considerably in textnre, and 

 here also there is a divided form (A. fleocuosum, Schrad.) which has the pinnae cut down 

 into narrow lobes about halfway down to the rachis in the upper part, and sometimes 

 quite down to it near the base. A. discolor, P. & R., also belongs here. 



b**. Group of A. falcatum. Sori and veins long, irregular, subflabellate, very 

 oblique. Sp. 90-98. 



90. A. auritum, Swartz ; st. tufted, 4-8 in. 1., firm, erect, grey, naked ; jr. 6-12 

 in. 1., 2-4 in. br., with 10-15 distinctly stalked horizontal pinnae on each side, 

 which are 2-3 in. 1., -f in. br., the point acute or bluntish, the edge sharply 

 toothed or often lobed, especially on the upper side towards the base, which, 

 if "not lobed, is distinctly auricled and narrowed suddenly, whilst the lower 

 edge at the base is obliquely truncate ; texture coriaceous ; rachis firm, erect, 

 grey, naked ; veins close, oblique, inconspicuous ; sori in 2 broad rather oblique 

 rows. ]8, A. macilentuni, Kze. ; rachis broadly winged ; pinnae blunt. y, A. rigi- 

 dum, Sw. ; pinnce deeply pinnatifid throughout. Hk. Sp. 3. p. 179. 



Hab. Common, in Tropical America, from Cuba and Mexico to Peru and S. Brazil ; 

 Neilgherries, Bourbon, Madagascar. 



91. A. paleaceum, R. Br. ; st. densely tufted, 1-3 in. 1., spreading, densely 

 scaly ; fr. 6-9 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., sometimes rooting and proliferous at the apex, 

 with 12-20 subsessile pinnce on each side, which are 1 in. 1., - in. br., the point 

 bluntish, the edge irregularly inciso-dentate, the upper base auricled and nar- 

 rowed suddenly, the lower obliquely truncate, the lower ones stalked, and 

 nearly as broad as long ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis densely clothed 

 throughout ; veins flabellate, deep channelled, conspicuous on the upper surface ; 

 sori linear, extending nearly to the edge. Hk. Sp. 3. p. 162. t. 199. 



Hab. Tropical Australia. Var. Prenticd, Baker, recedes from the type towards 

 altenuatum. 



92. A. crinicaule, Hance ; st. densely tufted, 3-4 in. 1., erect, dark-brown, slightly 

 fibrillose;/r, 6-9 in. 1., 1| in. br., with 9-15 horizontal pinnce on each side, which are 

 f-| in. 1., 4-f in. br., the point bluntish, the edges irregularly inciso-crenate, the 

 upper side narrowed suddenly, sometimes auricled at the base, the lower obliquely 

 truncate ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis firm, slightly fibrillose, no distinct midrib ; 

 veins subflabellate ; sori few, linear, very oblique. A. Hancei, Baker. 



Hab. S. China, Sikkim, Neilgherries (A. Eeddomei, Mett. ; A. falcatum, Bedd. Fil. 

 S. Ind. t. 141). 



93. A. erosum, Linn. ; st. tufted, 6-9 in. 1., firm, erect, nearly naked ; fr. 6-12 

 in. 1., 4-8 in. br., with 9-15 pinnce on each side, which are 3-4 in. 1., |-f in. br., 

 the edge slightly lobed and crenato-dentate, the point acuminate, the two sides 

 unequal, the upper one narrowed suddenly, the lower one obliquely truncate at 

 the base ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis firm, erect, greyish ; veins very oblique ; 

 sori falling short of the edge. Hk. Sp. 3. p. 162. 



Hab. West Indies. Probably an American form of falcatum. 



94. A. falcatum, Lam. ; st. tufted, 6-9 in. 1., firm, erect, greyish, nearly naked ; 

 fr. 6-18 in. 1., 4-6 in. br., with 6-20 stalked nearly horizontal pinnce on each side, 

 which are 2-3 in. 1., ^-1 in. br., the point acuminated, the edges lobed often one- 

 third of the way down, and the lobes sharply toothed, the two sides unequal, and 

 the lower one at the base obliquely truncate ; texture coriaceous ; rachis naked 

 or slightly fibrillose ; veins very oblique ; sori in long irregular lines reaching 

 nearly to the edge. Hk. Sp. 3. p. 160. 



