14: 2. GLEICHENIA, MERTENSIA. 



2 ft. 1., 1-2 in. br., pectinate - pinnatifid, clothed with cobwebby, deciduous 

 pubescence, generally ferruginous beneath ; segm. spreading, linear, obtuse or 

 retuse ; caps. 2-5, often concealed among the pubescence. Hk. Sp. 1 . p. 8. M. im- 

 mersa, Klf. Hk. et Grev. Ic. F. 1. 15 (excellent). Gl. tomentosa, Sw. Hk. Sp. 1. p. 13. 

 /3 more or less glabrous. M. f urcata, Sw. G. Mathewsii, Hk. Sp. p. 9. t. 7. B. 

 M. farinosa, Klf. Hk. Sp. p. 9. y longi-pinnata ; pinnae 2 ft. 1., 3 in. wide. 

 G. longipinnata, Hk. Sp. 1. p. 9. M. grandis, Fee, in lib. nostr. 



Hab. Tropical America abundant ; very variable in the more or less decurrent lobes 

 of the frond, and in the presence or absence of tomentum and scales. 



18. G. (Mert.) Owtyhensis, Hk. ; st. above much compressed, and winged with 

 2 elevated ciliated lateral lines ; fronds subcoriaceous, 3-4 times or more dicho- 

 tomous, leafy ; pinnce lanceolate, acuminate, a span to 1 ft. 1., 2-2| in. w. ; segm. 

 linear, horizontal, tapering and acute, cobwebby on the costa and veins beneath ; 

 caps. 2-4. Hk. Sp. l.p.Q. Mert. Hawaiensis, Brack. Fil. U. S. Expl. Exp.p. 295. 



Hab. Owhyhee. Macrae, Brackcnridge. 



19. G. (Mert.) flagettaris, Spr. ; branches of the/K glabrous, repeatedly dicho- 

 tomous, copiously foliaceous, glabrous, often glaucous beneath, subcoriaceo-mem- 

 branaceous ; pinnce erecto-patent or divaricating, extremely variable, broad- or 

 narrow- or linear-lanceolate, 5-6 in. to a ft. and more 1. ; segm. ^-2 in. and more 1., 

 linear, sometimes ferrugineo-tomentose at the base beneath ; caps. 2-4. Hk. Sp. 1 . 

 p. 10. Mertensia, Bory. G. laevigata, W. Hk. Sp. 1. p. 10 G. bifurcata, Bl. 

 Hk. Sp. 1. p. 11. Mert. plumseformis, Pr. Epim. p. 24. 1. 15 (very good). G. brac- 

 teata, Bl. in Hb. Hook, (axillary gemmae pectinato-bracteated ; brandies of the/r. 

 contracted). 



Hab. Mauritius and Bourbon, Madagascar ; Java and Malay Islands abundant ; Fiji, 

 Milne. The Malayan form of this is very large and rigid, yet the ramification and the 

 copious foliaceous branches are the same as in the Mauritian and Madagascar form. 



20. G. (Mert.) hirta, Bl. ; "fr. chartaceous when dry, opaque, green above, 

 beneath cseruleo-pruinate (very glaucous on the rachises and costse), together 



eh 



with the (small) gemmce densely paleaceous with ferruginous, lanceolate scales, 

 paler at the margin and ciliated, at length bare on the costse, many times dicho- 

 tomous ; branches adscendenti-flabellate ; prim, ones 1 in. 1., nudate ; second, ones 

 1^ in. 1., subnudate ; tertiary ones subelongate ; ult. ones (or pinnce) 7-9 in. 1., 

 standing at an angle of 30, linear, gradually attenuated, deeply pinnatifid ; lobes 

 8 in. 1., 1| in. br. (oblong-) linear, obtuse, slightly curved, the margin re volute, 

 the sides entire, the apex denticulate ; veins lax, slender ; sori between the costa 

 and the margin, of 3-5 caps. 1 ' Mett. Hk. Sp. 1. p. 11. Mett. in Miq. Ann. Mus. 

 Bot.L. Bat. 1. p. 48. 



Hab. Malay Islands, Reinwardt, Sir W. Noms. It is but recently that I have received 

 specimens of this from Sir W. Norris, but unfortunately all sterile ones. 



21. G. (Mert.) vestita, Bl. ; "fr. chartaceous or subcoriaceous, dark opaque- 

 green above, pruinose beneath, ferruginously fimbriato-paleaceous on the rachises. 

 costce, and gemmce, many times dichotomous ; inf. branches 1-2 in. 1., subdivergent ; 

 ult. ones (or pinnce) 6-8 in. 1., all deeply pinnatifid ; segm. approximate, patent, 4-5 

 lines 1., 2| lines br., oblong or ovato-oblong, rather obtuse or shortly apiculate, 

 entire ; gemmce pinnatifidly bracteated ; veins lax, evident beneath, prominent above ; 

 ca/tf.5,large," Mett. Hk.Sp.l.p.lQ. Mett. in. Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot.L. Bat. p. 48. 



Hab. Malay Islands, Blume, Van Ifasselt. I possess authentic specimens of this 

 from Blume, quite glaucous beneath ; those from Gede' ( Van Rasselt) are not at all 

 glaucous. Blume notices its close affinity with G. Icevigata, which we unite with (?. flayd- 

 laris. It is a stouter-growing plant, with broader and shorter segments. Mettenius, with 

 equal justice, says it is almost to be looked upon as a large form of G. revoluta (n. 15), with 

 large and less ciliated chaffy scales and more distinct veins. 



Stipes zigzag, branched ; branches bearing from 1-3 pairs of forked divari- 

 cating pinnce ; segments never decurrent. Sp. 22. 



