G. ALSOPHILA. 39 



in Mexico, and from the Copenhagen Garden, where it is cultivated ; but, save in the 

 caudate apices of the pinnules, it possesses scarcely any distinguishing characters. 



I may here mention, of S. American " Alsopliilce," A. tenera, J. Sm., from St. Vincents, 

 alluded to at p. 18 of this vol. under 0. gracilis, Gris. ; a fine-looking species from Tarapota, 

 E. Peru, Spruce, n. 472, with very long, dense, subulato-crinite scales ; tmAlsophila from 

 Porto Alegre, S. Brazil, Mr. Fox, n. 247, of which the two lowest lobes of the pinnule are 

 singularly reflexed upon the rachis ; a Guatemala species from Messrs. Salvin & Godman, 

 " n. 1 ; " a Cuban species, C. Wright, n. 1053, with oblong, falcate lobes, an inch long ; 

 and other Cuban species from the same collector, Nos. 1833, 1834, and 1834a. These, 

 however, and some other dubious species, I dare not attempt to characterize. 



** Species of the Pacific Isles, Australia, and N. Zealand. Sp. 38-47. 



38. A. Samoensis, Brack.; "arborescent, unarmed; st. and common rachis 

 fulvo-tomentose above ; fr. glabrous, nearly membranaceous, bipinnate ; pinnl. 

 elongate-lanceolate, scarcely acuminate, pinnatifid ; lobes oblong, obtuse, sub- 

 falcate, serrated ; part, rachises and costa and veins (which are slender, forked, 

 setose above) beneath bullato-squamose ; sori few, infra-axillary, nearer the 

 costa than the margin ; reccpt. columnar, with a lacerated scale beneath, and hairs 

 among the capsules." Brack. Fil. p. 287. t. 40. f. 1. 



Hab. Samoan Isles, Brackenridge ; Louisiade Archipelago, McGillivray. I have seen 

 no authentic specimen of this ; but some of my specimens from the Louisiade sufficiently 

 accord with the description and figure above quoted. 



39. A. decurrens, Hk. ; unarmed ; fr. membranaceous, bipinnate above, the 

 rest tripinnate, sparsely villous with long, white hairs on both sides, chiefly on 

 the costules and veins, the former scurfy with small bullato-acuminated scales ; 

 prim, pinnae 1-1^ ft. 1., 6 in w., oblong-acuminate ; second, pinncs 2-3 in. 1., oblong- 

 acuminate, pinnated ; ult. pinnl. 4-6 lines 1., 1^ line w., from an adnate and 

 decurrent base oblong, obtuse, pinnatifid half-way down to the costule ; lobes 

 ovate, acute, entire or with 1 or 2 teeth ; sori 1 to each lobe of few lax capsules. 

 Hk. Sp. 1. p. 51. 



Hab. Pacific Islands; Aneiteum, Samoan Islands; N. Caledonia (Vieillard). A 

 species not likely to be confounded with any other. 



40. A. truncata, Brack. ; main and second, rachises dark purple, glossy, sharply 

 muricate, deciduously furfuraceo-tomentose, as well as the costse and costules 

 beneath ; fr. tripinnate, firm, coriaceous, bright green above, paler beneath ; prim, 

 pinnos 10-16 in. 1., 4-5 in. w., oblong, acuminate ; second, ones 2-3 in. 1., J-| in. 

 w., oblong, sessile, pinnated to the very short pinnatifid acumination ; ult. pinnl. 

 very small, rather distant, from a truncated shortly petiolated free base, linear- 

 oblong, acute, the margin recurved, sinuato-lobate ; costule thick and prominent, 

 bullato-squamulose ; veins forked, almost from the base ; sori small, dark orange, 

 lax, near the costule. Brack. Fil. p. 288. 



Hab. Fiji and Samoan Islands, Brackenridge; Ngau, Milne. A very distinct and 

 peculiar species. 



41 . A. Novas Caledonice, Mett. ; main and second, rachises rufo-fuscous, muri- 

 cate and, as well as the costse beneath hirsuto-tomentose, and very minutely 

 paleaceous ; fr. coriaceous, dark blackish green above, glossy as if varnished 

 (beneath in our specimen wholly covered with fructification), tripinnate ; 

 prim, pinnae ] \ ft. L, 6 in. w. ; second, ones sessile, linear-oblong, 4-5 lines w., 

 pinnated, except the acuminated serrated apex ; ult. pinnl. rather distant 2-2^ 

 lines 1., less than 1 line w., linear-oblong, obtuse, sessile, and slightly decurrent 

 at the base, the margins recurved subcrenulate ; sori copious, occupying the 

 space between the costule and the margin. Mett. Fil. N. Coded, n. 100. 



Hab. N. Caledonia, Vieillard, n. 1633. Mettenius compares this with A. truncata, 

 Brack. ; no doubt its nearest affinity, but it is truly distinct 



