38. ASPLEXITJM, HEMlDICTYUil. 245 



275. A. (Aniso.) Smithianum, Baker; caudex oblique, decumbent; si. thick, 

 1 ft. ]., slightly scaly below, furfuraceous throughout, and rather densely 

 muricated ; fr. 18-24 in. 1., by nearly as broad, with 4-5 pinnate pinnae and 

 4-5 that are only pinnatifid below the point on each side, the lowest 3 in. apart, 

 about 9 in. 1., 4 in. br. ; pinnL sessile, 2-3 in. 1., f-f in. br., the edge subentire, 

 the point slightly toothed, acuminated, the base rounded on both sides ; texture 

 subcoriaceous ; both surfaces and rachis naked, the latter muricated in the lower 

 part ; veins in groups of 2-3 on a side, the groups usually joining halfway across 

 to the edge ; sori often J in. 1. A. dilatatum, J. Sm. (non Blume). 



Hab. Ceylon, Gardner, 1351. Our description here is taken from the living cultivated 

 plant. It differs from latifolium by its oblique caudex and anastomosing venation and 

 asperous stipe. 



2~6. A. (Aniso.) vitiense, Baker ; fr. ample ; lower pinnae 1 ft. 1., 6 in. br., 

 with numerous close distinctly-stalked lanceolate pinnl. on each side, which are 

 2-3 in. 1., | in. br., narrowed gradually from the truncate base to an acuminate 

 point, and bluntly lobed about one-third of the way down to the midrib ; texture 

 herbaceous ; rachis finely pubescent, both sides nearly naked ; veins pinnate 

 in the lobes with 6-9 veinlets on a side, the lowest of contiguous groups 

 joining midway between the midrib and sinus ; sori copious, medial ; invoL 

 membranous. 



Hab. Fiji, Daemel ; communicated by Prof. Reichenbach. I now look on this as a 

 mere form of escukntum. 



Q\ Hemidictyum, PresL Veins anastomosing towards the margin. Sori 

 / single. Fig. 38, h. Sp. 277-280. 



277. A. (Hemi.) Ceterach, L. ; st. densely tufted, 1-3 in. 1., wiry, ebeneous, 

 chaffy ; fr. 4-6 in. 1., 1 in. or less br., cut down nearly or quite to the rachis 

 into alternate, blunt subentire broadly-oblong or roundish lobes, - in. L, 

 j- in. br., with a rounded sinus between them ; texture subcoriaceous ; upper 

 surface naked ; lower densely coated with small pale reddish-brown ovate 

 membranous scales ; sori linear, oblique ; invol. very rudimentary. Brit. F. 

 t. 36. Ceterach officinarum, Willd.($, C. aureum, Link ; fr. 6-12 in. 1., 1^-2 

 in. br., lobes oblong, scales toothed. Hk. Sp. 3. p. 273. 



Hab. Britain and Gothland to Spain, Greece, Himalayas, and the Caucasus ; j3, Cana- 

 ries and Madeira. The involucre is so very nearly absent, that this is placed by most 

 authors in Grammitidece. There is a Cape specimen in Herb. Rawson. 



278. A. (Hemi.) Purdieanum, Hk. ; st. 6-9 in. 1., clothed copiously with 

 greyish-brown lanceolate-acuminate scales ; fr. 6-9 in. each way, deltoid, 

 cordate, with a terminal and 2-3 pairs of opposite lateral pinnce, the largest 

 4-5 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., acute at the point, narrowed at the base, the edge entire ; 

 texture subcoriaceous ; both surfaces naked ; veins fine, the primary ones very 

 oblique, anastomosing copiously halfway from the midrib to the edge, connected 

 by a vague line within the margin ; lower sori sometimes 1 in. 1. Hk. Sp. 3. 

 p. 273. Ic. t. 938. 



Hab. Discovered by Mr. Purdie in Venezuela (not Jamaica), and since gathered by 

 Dr. Spruce in Peru. 



279. A. (Hemi.) Finlaysonianum, Wall. ; st. 6-9 in. 1., green, subcompressed, 

 nearly naked ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 6-8 in. br., simply pinnate, with 2-6 opposite- pairs 

 of lateral pinnae, the lower ones 4-8 in. L, 1^-2 in. br., the point very acuminate, 

 the base narrowed very gradually on both sides to a distinct petiole, the edge 

 entire, the two sides often unequal ; texture coriaceous ; veins subflabellate, very 

 oblique, anastomosing slightly towards the edge, sometimes bounded by an 



