HISTORY OP INTRODUCTION OF EXOTIC FERNS. 31 



my herbarium are required to settle this point. In 

 Venezuela there is the remarbable Amphiblestra lati- 

 folia, a Fern resembling some of the larger species of 

 Aspidium in habit and appearance, but having a line 

 of confluent sori on the margin like the Pteridice, to 

 which tribe it is generally referred, some authors retain- 

 ing it under Humboldt's name, Pterislatifolia, and also a 

 species of Trichomanes of extraordinary size, T. Kun- 

 zeanum, nearly allied to our own Irish species T. radi- 

 cans, but with rather rigid fronds, from two to three 

 feet in length. One or two species of Lindscea are 

 also found in Venezuela, particularly the neat L. stricta, 

 with fronds varying from pinnate to tri-pinnate, though 

 most commonly bi-pinnate. But the head-quarters of 

 the genus Lindscea, in the Western hemisphere are 

 Guiana, where is found the rare L. reniformis,* resem- 

 bling in the general appearance of its fronds the well- 

 knownAdiantum rem/brme,and the yet to be introduced 

 Gymnogramme reniformis of Brazil, a rare plant even 

 in herbaria. The exceedingly beautiful L. trapeziformis, 

 which has bi-pinnate fronds two feet or more in height, 

 is also found here, as well as in other parts of tropical 

 America and the West Indies. I may remark that, 

 notwithstanding that some of the loosely compiled 

 garden catalogues in common use among gardeners 

 mention as many as twenty- six species of this genus 

 being in cultivation, I know of only two, and I 

 'have made many inquiries upon the subject. The 

 genus contains upwards of sixty described species, dis- 

 persed over the tropical and sub-tropical countries of 



* Lately introduced by Messrs. Backhouse of York, but yet 

 rare. 



