38* ASPLENIUM, HEMIDICTYUM. 245 



275. A. (Aniso.) Smithianum, Baker; caudex oblique, decumbent; st. thick, 

 1 ft. 1., slightly scaly below, furfuraceous throughout, and rather densely 

 muricated ; fr. 18-24 in. 1., by nearly as broad, with 4-5 pinnate pinnce and 

 4-5 that are only pinnatifid below the point on each side, the lowest 3 in. apart, 

 about 9 in. 1., 4 in. br. ; pinnl. sessile, 2-3 in. 1., f-f in. br., the edge subentire^ 

 the point slightly toothed, acuminated, the base rounded on both sides ; texture 

 subcoriaceous ; both surfaces and rachis naked, the latter muricated in the lower 

 part ;. veins in groups of 2-3 on a side, the groups usually joining halfway across 

 to the edge ; sori often J in. 1. A. dilatatum, J. /Sin. (non Blume). 



Hab. Ceylon, Gardner, 1351. Our description here is taken from the living cultivated 

 plant. It differs from latifolium by its oblique caudex and anastomosing venation and 

 asperous stipe. 



276. A. (Aniso.) vitiense, Baker ; fr. ample ; lower pinnce 1 ft. 1., 6 in. br., 

 with numerous close distinctly-stalked lanceolate pinnl. on each side, which are 

 2-3 in. 1., | in. br., narrowed gradually from the truncate base to an acuminate 

 point, and bluntly lobed about one-third of the way down to the midrib ; texture 

 herbaceous ; rachis finely pubescent, both sides nearly naked ; veins pinnate 

 in the lobes with 6-9 veinlets on a side, the lowest of contiguous groups 

 joining midway between the midrib and sinus ; sori copious, medial ; invol. 

 membranous. 



Hab. Fiji, Daernel; communicated by Prof. Reichenbach. This bears the same rela- 

 tion to A. decurrens that the preceding does to A. latifolium. 



Hemidictyum, Presl. Veins anastomosing towards the margin. Sori 

 single. Fig. 38, h. Sp. 277-280. 



277- A. (Hemi.) Ceterach, L. ; st. densely tufted, 1-3 in. 1., wiry, ebeneous, 

 chaffy ; fr. 4-6 in. 1., 1 in. or less br., cut down nearly or quite to the rachis 

 into alternate, blunt subentire broadly-oblong or roundish lobes, -| in. 1., 

 J-f in. br., with a rounded sinus between them ; texture subcoriaceous ; upper 

 surface naked ; lower densely coated with small pale reddish-brown ovate 

 membranous scales ; sori linear, oblique ; invol. very rudimentary. Brit. F. 

 t. 36. Ceterach officinar^m, Willd.fi, C. aureum, Link ; fr. 6-12 in. 1., Ji-2 

 in. br., lobes oblong, scales toothed. Hk. Sp. 3. p. 273. 



Hab. Britain and Gothland to Spain, Greece, Himalayas, and the Caucasus ; /3, Cana- 

 ries and Madeira. The involucre is so very nearly absent, that this is placed by most 

 authors in Grammitidece. 



278. A. (Hemi.) Purdieanum, Hk. ; st. 6-9 in. 1., clothed copiously with 

 greyish-brown lanceolate-acuminate scales; fr. 6-9 in. each way, deltoid, 

 cordate, with a terminal and 2-3 pairs of opposite lateral pinnce, the largest 

 4-5 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., acute at the point, narrowed at the base, the edge entire ; 

 texture subcoriaceous ; both surfaces naked ; veins fine, the primary ones very 

 oblique, anastomosing copiously halfway from the midrib to the edge, connected 

 by a vague line within the margin ; lower sori sometimes 1 in. 1. Hk. Sp. 3. 

 p. 273. Ic. t. 938. 



Hab. Discovered by Mr. Purdie in Venezuela (not Jamaica), and since gathered by 

 Dr. Spruce in Peru. 



279. A. (Hemi.) Finlaysonianum, "Wall. ; st. 6-9 in. L, green, subcompressed, 

 nearly naked ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 6-8 in. br., simply pinnate, with 2-6 opposite pairs 

 of lateral pinnce, the lower ones 4-8 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., the point very acuminate, 

 the base narrowed very gradually on both sides to a distinct petiole, the edge 

 entire, the two sides often unequal ; texture coriaceous ; veins subflabellate, very 

 oblique, anastomosing slightly towards the edge, sometimes bounded by an 



