158 31. PTERIS, EUPTERIS. 



the longest undivided ones 6 in. 1., -f in. br., those of the pinnse with 

 usually about 1 in. between them, the margins very slightly serrated ; texture 

 subcoriaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins fine, simple or once 

 forked, about 3 to a line; invol. narrow, membranous. Hk. Sp. 2. p. 170. 

 t. 121. A. 



Hab. Gathered at Penang by Lady Dalhousie, and in Java by Mr. Lobb. Very 

 different from any other species of the group. It is most like P. umbrosa, but much 

 more compound. 



21. P. irregularis, Kaulf. ; st. 1-2 ft. 1., strong, angular, naked, polished, 

 brownish ; fr. 12-24 in. 1., often 1 ft. br. ; main rachis with a wing throughout 

 which is f -\ in. br. ; upper pinnce linear, simple, lower ones 2-3 in. apart at the 

 base, with several long, linear, erecto-patent pinnl. on each side, which are 

 sometimes again slightly compound ; longest simple segm. 3 or 4 in. 1., f-^in. br. ; 

 rachis and both surfaces naked ; texture subcoriaceous ; veins about 1 1m. apart 

 at the base, usually once forked ; invol. narrow, membranous. Hk. Sp. 2. 

 p. 173. 



Hab. Sandwich Islands ; and a fragment of what is probably this species is in the Her- 

 barium from Sumatra. This again is very distinct. It is more like P. Dalhousice than 

 any other species, but the pinnules are regularly pinnate instead of mostly forked. 



22. P. quadriaurita, Retz. ; st. 1-2 ft. 1., strong, erect, naked or slightly 

 scabrous, straw-coloured or brownish ; fr. 6 in. to 2 or 3 ft. 1., 4 in. to 1 ft. or 

 more br., with a terminal central pinna cut down nearly to the rachis into 

 numerous close parallel linear-oblong lobes ^-1 in. 1., 2-3 lin. br., the barren 

 ones entire or slightly serrated, and below this several similar pinnce on both sides, 

 which are 6-12 in. or more 1., 1-2 in. br., the lowest 1-2 in. apart at the base, 

 usually again compound, with one or two similar but smaller pinnl. branching 

 from them at the base on the lower side ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis and 

 both surfaces naked ; veins conspicuous, usually once forked, 1 lin. to ^ in. apart 

 at the base ; sori often continuous along the whole margin of the segments. 

 Hk. Sp. 2. p. 179. t. 134. B. 



Hab. All round the world within the Tropics, and a little beyond them. West Tropical 

 Africa Angola, Natal, Zambesi Land, Madagascar. Hindostan (ascending in the Hima- 

 layas to 11,000 ft.), S. China and Japan southward to Ceylon and the Malayan and 

 Polynesian Islands and Rockingham Bay in Trop. Australia. America, from Cuba and 

 Mexico southward to Brazil. Varies much, especially in size. P. asperula, J. Smith, is 

 a form with the rachises and costse furnished with slender spines ; P. subquinata, Wallich 

 and Agardh, an Indian form with fewer pinnse than usual ; P. argyrcea, Moore, a form 

 with a more or less distinctly marked band of white down the centre of the frond ; 

 P. tricolor, Linden, the same, with a tinge of red added (see Bot. Mag. t. 5183) : and I 

 cannot distinguish by any clear character the West-Indian P. Swartziana, Agardh, and 

 P. felosma, J. Smith ; the Brazilian P. sulcata, Link ; the Malayan P. pyrophylla, Blume, 

 and P. deltea, Agardh, and the South-African P. catoptera, Kunze. All our specimens 

 of the Polynesian plant have dark-brown naked stipes and rachis. Mr. Thwaites sends 

 from Ceylon a series of remarkable abnormal forms passing down gradually into a plant 

 with narrow linear pinnae, the lowest with only two smaller similar pinnules on the lower 

 side. Down to No. 28 the species are osely allied to this and one another. 



23. P. longipinnula, Wallich ; st. erect, naked, 2-3 ft. 1., yellowish-green ; fr. 

 1-3 ft. 1., 12-18 in. br., the terminal pinna 1 ft. or more 1., 2-3 in. br., with 

 numerous spreading, entire, blunt, linear lobes on each side, which are 1^-2 in. 1., 

 and reach down nearly to the rachis at the base, the point caudate ; lateral pinnce 

 several on each side, similar to the terminal one, the lowest 2 in. apart, sometimes 

 forked ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins once forked, 



in. apart at the base ; sori continued nearly to the apex of the segments. Hk. 

 2. p. 179, t. 134. A. 



