4^2 riLlCEs. {Lygodium. 



usually shorter and broader than the barren ones. — L. salicifoUum, Presl, 1. c. 

 L. microphyllum, Br. Prod. i. 162. 



Hongkong, Hinds, Champion, Wright. In India, from Ceylon and the Peninsula to the 

 Archipelago, extending eastward to N. Australia, and northward to the Himalaya and 

 S. China. Very closely allied also to the tropical American L. voluhile, Sw. 



3. L. japosiicum, Sw.; Presl, Tent. Tter'id. Suppl. 109. A rather 

 slender tall climber like the last, but usually pubescent, at least on the petioles 

 and rhachis. Fronds once or twice pinnate, the segments always continuous 

 with and more or less decurrent on the petiolule, but otherwise exceedingly 

 variable in shape, the barren ones usually palmately lobed, v/ith one long lan- 

 ceolate lobe and 1 or 2 small ones on each side, the fertile ones usually at 

 least twice pinnate, with small ovate or lanceolate lobes. Sori either protru- 

 ding from the margin or occupying the whole under surface, the segment being 

 thus divided to the base into small narrow lobes. 



In ravines. Champion, and others. In India, from Ceylon and the Peninsula to the Archi- 

 pelago, and northward to the Himalaya, China, and Japan. 



4. GLEICHENIA, Sm. 



(Mertensia, IFilld.) 

 Sori small, globular or dot-like, scattered on the under surface of the frond- 

 segments without any indusium, each sorus consisting of 2 to 5 small sessile 

 globular spore-cases with a transverse ring and opening at the top in 2 valves. 

 — Procumbent or straggling Perns, with a dichotomous stipes, the ultimate 

 branches bearing 2 pinnae, either deeply pinnatitid, or pinnate with deeply 

 pinnatifid pinnules. 



A considerable tropical genus, common to the New and the Old World, extending also 

 into extratropical Australia and S. Africa. 



Pinnre deeply pinnatifid (almost pinnate) 1. G. dichotoma. 



Pinnse pinnate, with deeply pinnatifid pinnules (almost bipinnate) . . 2. G. e.xcelsa. 



1. G. dichotoma, Willd. ; Hook. Spec. Yd. i. 12. Stipes terete, dicho- 

 tomous, bearing a pair of sessile pinnse at the end of each ultimate branch 

 and an opposite pair also under the last or under each of the two last forks. 

 Pinnse lanceolate, more or less falcate, often 8 or 10 in. long, pinnatitid 

 almost to the midrib. Segments or lobes numerous, linear, obtuse or emar- 

 ginate, often 1 in. long, rigid, glabrous or nearly so, but glaucous underneath, 

 the lowest pair often longer and pinnatifid. — Poly podium dichotomum, Thunb. 

 PI. Jap. t. 37. 



Hongkong, Hinds, Champion, and others. Abundant in most tropical countries in the 

 New and the Old World. 



2. G. excelsa, /. Sm. ; Hook. Sjjec. Fil. i. 5, t. 4 JB. Ehizome long and 

 creeping. Fronds several feet high, the stipes forked, the ultimate branches 

 bearing 2 pinnate pinnae, the pinnides numerous, distinct, deeply pinnatifid or 

 almost pinnate, very similar to the pinuEe of G. dichotoma. Segments linear- 

 oblong, obtuse, glaucous underneath. Khachis of the pinnae veiy smooth and 

 brown, with an acute elevated line on the upper side. — Mertensia glaMca, J. 

 Sm. in Seem. Bot. Her. 430 ; but not of Swartz. 



Hongkong, Seemann. At Poochowfoo and in the Philippines. Very closely allied to the 

 G. glauca, Sw., from Japan and the Pacific islands. 



