44. NEPHRODIUM, LASTREA. 275 



central ones are the largest, and cut into close lobes more than halfway down to 

 the rachis, but the upper and lower ones nearly entire ; texture herbaceous ; 

 rachises finely fibrillose, under side opaque, and scattered over with short, stiff, 

 shining hairs ; veinlets forked or subpinnate in the lobes ; sori in rows a short 

 distance from the midvein of the latter ; invol. small, hairy. 



Hab. Angola, Welwitzsch. This seems a very distinct plant. 



***** @ rou p O f _/v; spinulosum ; caudex erect, fronds small or middle-sized, 

 tri- or quadripinnatifid ; involucres firm, persistent. Sp. 88-117. Lophodium, 

 Newm. 



j- Fronds oblong -lanceolate or oblong-deltoid. Sp. 88-101. 



88. N. (Last.) viridescens, Baker; st. tufted, 12-18 in. 1., naked, polished, 

 brownish, glossy, with a few lanceolate scales near the base ; fr. l-2 ft. 1., 1 ft. 

 br. ; lower pinnae the largest ; pinnl. oblong-lanceolate, pinnatifid, with broad, 

 blunt lobes with a few sharp teeth, the lowest 2-3 in. 1., and cut down nearly to 

 the rachis ; texture herbaceous ; colour bright green ; rachis polished ; both sides 

 naked ; sori in rows near the midribs of the pinnls. ; invol. \ lin. br., naked. 



Hab. Japan, Oldham, 89, 377. A connecting link between this group and the last. 



89. N. (Last.) fragrans, Rich. ; st. densely tufted, very short, clothed with 

 large ovate concolorous scales ; fr. 6-9 in. 1., l-|-2 in. br., oblong-lanceolate ; 

 pinnae f-1 in. 1., J- in. br., cut down nearly to the rachis below into oblong 

 lobes, which are again toothed or pinnatitid ; lower pinnae reduced gradually ; 

 texture coriaceous ; rachises densely scaly ; veins subpinnate in the lower lobes of 

 the pinnules, the lower part of which is often quite covered with the sori ; invol. 

 very large and membranous. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 122. Hk. Sf Gr. t. 70. 



Hab. Caucasus to Kamschatka, and Arctic America to Wisconsin. 



90. N. (Last.) rigidum, Desv. ; st. tufted, 6 in. 1., densely clothed below with 

 large lanceolate or ovate concolorous scales ; fr. 12-18 in. L, 4-6 in. br., oblong- 

 lanceolate ; largest pinnae 2-3 in. 1., 1-1^ in. br., the pinnl. of the lower half 

 free, ovate-rhomboidal, cut down nearly to the rachis below ; teeth mucronate ; 

 texture herbaceous ; rachises usually scaly ; under side slightly glandular ; veinlets 

 subpinnate in the lower lobes of the pinnules ; sori close to the midrib ; invol. 

 firm, prominent, fringed with glands. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 160. B. F. t. 16. 



Hab. Britain to Spain, Greece, Syria, and Asia Minor; California, N.W. Mexico. 

 The S. European and American forms (A. pallidum, Link, And A. argutum, Kaulf.) have 

 the lower pinnules often 1-1 1 in. 1., with the veins copiously pinnate in the lower lobes. 



91. N. (Last.) spinulosum, Desv. ; st. tufted, about 1 ft. 1., sparingly clothed 

 with ovate concolorous scales ; fr. 12-18 in. L, 6-8 in. br., oblong-lanceolate ; 

 lower pi nn ce subdeltoid, 3-4 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., the lowest pair about equal to the 

 next ; pinnl. ovate-lanceolate, the largest about 1 in. L, in. br., cut down to 

 the rachis below into close oblong lobes with copious aristate teeth ; texture 

 herbaceous ; rachis stramineous, scarcely scaly ; under surface not glandular ; 

 colour pale-green ; invol. not gland-ciliated. //. Brit. F. t. 20. j3, N. dila- 

 tatum, Desv. ; scales denser and narrower, dark-brown in the centre ; fr. ovate- 

 lanceolate or subdeltoid, larger and more deeply cut, the colour a darker and 

 brighter green, the pinnae closer, the under surface often finely glandular, the 

 invol. gland-ciliated. Hk. B. F. 1. 19. y, N. remotutn (A. Br. sub Aspid.) ; scales 

 lanceolate, concolorous, extending to the rachis ; fr. oblong- lanceolate, about 

 2 ft. 1., 6 in. br. ; pinnae lanceolate, close ; pinnl. ovate-oblong, only the lowest 

 free, the largest about 1 in. L, % in. br., cut halfway down to the rachis or 

 more, spinulose teeth few ; under side and invol. not glandular. Hk. Brit. F. 

 t. 22. S, N. Boottii (Tucker., sub Aspid.) ; habit and scales of a ; pinnae distant. 



