144 CHARACTERS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 



59. PHOTINOPTERIS, /. Sm. (1841). 

 Lomaria sp., Blume ; Acrosticlium sp., Watt. ; Hook. Sp. Fit. 



Vernation uniserial, sarmentum scandent. Fronds distant, 

 pinnate, 2 to 3 feet long, smooth, coriaceous, rigid, shining, 

 the upper pinnas contracted and fertile. Sterile pinn<v 

 distant, alternate, elliptical, acuminate, 6 to 8 inches long, 

 2 to 3 inches wide, petiole short, attached to the rachis by 

 a scutiform lobe. Feins costseform, venules and veinlets 

 compound anastomosing, forming quadrangular areoles. 

 Fertile pinnae linear, rachiform, 8 to 12 inches in length, 

 their under side wholly sporangiferous. 



Type. Lomaria speciosa, Bl. 



Illust. Hook, and Bauer, Gen. Fil., t. 92 ; Moore Ind. 

 Fil., p. 9, A ; Hook. Syn. Fil., t. 8, fig. 60, ff, gg, hh. 



OBS. My first knowledge of the singular Fern on 

 which this genus is founded, was obtained from a specimen 

 in the herbarium of Dr. Horsfield, which had been collected 

 in Java, which led me to give it the specific name of 

 Horsfieldii; in 1822 it was found near Singapore by 

 Wallich, and was named by him Acrosticlium rigidum. It 

 was, however, first described by Blume, under the name of 

 Lomaria speciosa. It was also found by Cuming in the 

 Philippine Islands, who described it to me as growing on 

 trees, and being conspicuous by its shining fronds. In 

 vernation it agrees with Gymnopteris, but its peculiar habit 

 and articulate pinnae does not admit of its being associated 

 with that genus ; in these characters it agrees with Drynaria 

 and Dryostachum, but its adherent vernation prevents its 

 alliance with these genera. 



Sp. P. speciosa (BL} (Acrostichum rigidum, Wall, M. S. 

 Cat. Herb. ; Bedd. F. Brit. Ind., pi. 211 ; P. Horsfieldii, J. Sm. 

 Journ. of Bot., 1841 ; P. simplex, J. Sm.} ; P. drynarioides, 



