31. PTERIS, EUPTERIS. 155 



6. P. Hookeriana, Agardh ; st. 6-12 in. ]., naked, erect, pale ; fr. 9-12 in. 1., 

 6-9 in. br., with a long, linear, entire terminal pinna, and two to six pairs of 

 sessile opposite entire lateral ones, the largest of which is about 6 in. }., f in. br., 

 and the lowest of which is forked at the base on one or both sides ; texture~ 

 coriaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked, opaque ; veins nearly 1 lin. apart at 

 the base, simple or once forked, conspicuous above, but scarcely visible beneath ; 

 invol. narrow, brownish. Hk. Sp.2. p. 165. * 



Hab. Adam's Peak, Ceylon, at about 2,000ft. Regarded by Mr. Thwaites as a variety 

 of P. cretica. 



7. P. dactylina, Hk. ; st. 6-9 in. 1., slender, wiry, naked, straw-coloured ; fr. 

 consisting of 3 to 5 linear slightly serrated pinnae, 2-6 in. 1., 1^-2 lin. br., which 

 issue from at or near the same point, sometimes the two outer ones from a little 

 below the others ; texture coriaceous, both surfaces naked ; veins conspicuous, 

 simple or forked, usually about 1 lin. distant from one another at the base ; 

 invol. broad, pale. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 160. t. 130. A. 



Hab. Nepaul, Sikkim, and Khasya, ascending to 9,000 ft. In habit this comes near 

 P. cretica (3, but the venation is different. 



8. P. umbrosa, R. Br. ; st. 12-18 in. 1., strong, erect, bright reddish- brown, 

 scabrous ; fr. 12-24 in. 1., 6-12 in br., with a terminal pinna and usually 6 to 9 

 lateral ones, all of which run down the stipe at the base so as to form a broad 

 wing which reaches nearly or quite to the next node, the upper ones linear, 

 3-6 in. 1., -;j in. br., finely serrated in the sterile portions, the lower ones 

 forked or with 2 or 4 erecto-patent linear pinnules ; rachis and both surfaces 

 naked ; texture coriaceous ; veins fine but conspicuous, simple or once forked. 

 Hk. Sp.Z.p. 162. t. 130. B. 



Hab. Tropical and Temperate Australia. A larger plant than P, cretica, with a 

 conspicuously winged rachis and several compound pinnae. 



9. P. serrulata, L. fil. ; st. 6-9 in. 1., erect, wiry, naked, pale or brownish ; fr. 

 9-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., ovate, bipinnatifid, the main rachis margined with a wing 

 which is 1^-2 lin. br. at the top, and grows gradually narrower downwards ; 

 pinnae in six or more distant opposite pairs, the upper ones simple, often 4-6 in. 

 1., ^-J in. br., the lower ones with several long linear erecto-patent pinnules on 

 each side, the edge of the barren ones spinuloso-serrulate ; texture scarcely 

 coriaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins clearly visible, simple or once 

 forked, about 1 lin. apart at the base ; invol. narrow, membranous. Hk. Sp. 

 2. p. 167. 



Hab. A well-known plant in gardens, common in China, and received lately from Japan 

 from Dr. Hance, and from Natal from R. W. Rawson, Esq. P. luxwriosa, Kunze, a 

 garden plant, supposed to be a native of Manilla, is said to differ by its longer and nar- 

 rower frond, less branched and more equal lower pinnae, and winged petioles. 



10. P. crenata, Swartz ; st. 3-6 in. 1., slender, erect, naked, straw-coloured ; 

 fr. 6-12 in. 1., 3-6 in. br., with a long terminal pinna and 2 to 4 pairs of 

 lateral ones, those of the fertile frond slightly compound, the centra] portion 

 2-4 in. 1., ^ in or less br., entire, the upper ones of the sterile frond decurrent, 

 the lower ones subdeltoid, cut down to the rachis below into 2 to 6 ovate-oblong 

 sharply-toothed pinnules, which are often f or even ^ in. br. ; texture sub- 

 coriaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins not very conspicuous, usually 

 once or twice forked. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 163. t. 127. A. 



Hab. Hindostan, from the Himalayas to Ceylon, Chusan, and Loo-choo Islands south- 

 ward to Tropical Australia, eastward to Samoa and Fiji. This has the fertile fronds of 

 the present, with barren ones more like those of the next group. 



