254 43. ASPIDIUM, POLYSTICHUM. 



densely clothed, especially below, with large lanceolate pale-brown scales ; fr. 

 2-3 ft. 1., 1 ft. or more br. ; lower pinnae 6-9 in. 1., 2-3 in. br. ; pinnl. lanceolate, 

 cut down in the lower part into oblong segin. ; teeth blunt or slightly mucronate ; 

 texture subcoriaceous ; rachis more or less scaly ; both surfaces naked ; veins 

 obscure ; sori placed near the sinuses of the pinnl. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 27. Kew 

 Gard. Misc. 8. t. 11. 



Hab. Ceylon. A very curious plant, perhaps an abnormal form of 18. The sori are 

 often upon the upper surface, and sometimes quite destitute of involucre. 



28. A. (Polyst.) amabile, Blume ; st. scattered, 6-12 in. 1., slender, polished, 

 slightly scaly below ; fr. 1 ft. or more 1., 6-9 in. br., with a lanceolate terminal 

 pinna and 3-6 lateral ones on each side, which are 6-8 in. 1., 1-1 1 in. br., the 

 lowest sometimes slightly compound at the base ; segm. subrhomboidal, with at 

 least half the lower side cut away, -f in. 1., J-f in. br., the upper side and 

 outer part of the lower lobed and sharply spinuloso-serrated ; texture subcoria- 

 ceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; lower veinlets in groups of 3-5 ; sori 

 submarginal. HJc. Sp. 4. p. 25. t. 225. 



Hab. Nepaul, Ceylon, Malaccas, Formosa, Japan. This is nearest the simpler forms 

 of aristatum, but has a long terminal pinna, with subuniform large rhomboidal segments. 



29. A. (Polyst.) tripteron t Kunze ; st. 6-9 in. 1., densely clothed at the base 

 with large ovate dark-brown scales ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., with a large terminal 

 and two small spreading lateral pinnae at the base of it, the former 2^-3 in. br., 

 with very numerous spreading pinnl. on each side, 1^ in. 1., f-^ in br., very 

 unequal-sided, the point acute, the edge deeply inciso-pinnatifid, the lower lobes 

 again toothed, the upper side abruptly narrowed and the lower obliquely 

 truncate at the base ; lot. pinnae 3-5 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., with numerous 

 similar pinnl. ; texture herbaceous ; rachis nearly naked, stramineous ; sori 

 principally in two rows midway between midrib and edge. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 15. 

 2nd Cent. t. 56. 



Hab. Japan and Tsus-Sima. A very distinct plant. 



**** Lower pinnae more than once pinnate. Sp. 30-41. 



30. A. (Polyst.) laserpitiifolium, Mett. ; st. 4 in. L, stramineous, scaly at the 

 base ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., ovate-deltoid, tripinnate ; lower pinnae the 

 largest, with pinnl. on the lower side prolonged, lanceolate, imbricated with 

 small, distinct, bluntly, not deeply lobed segm.; texture subcoriaceous ; colour 

 light-green ; both sides and rachis glabrous ; sori in two rows occupying nearly 

 the whole space between the edge and midrib. Mett. Fit. Ind.p. 227. t. Q.f. 2. 



Hab. Japan. Differs from A. amabile by being more compound, with smaller, cuneate, 

 oblong, less-toothed segments and larger sori. 



31. A. (Polyst.) varium, Sw. ; rhizome subrepent ; st. 6-12 in. 1., densely 

 fibrillose below ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 9-12 in. br., lanceolate-deltoid ; lower pinnae 

 much the largest, subdeltoid, unequal-sided, 4-6 in. 1., 3-4 in. br. ; pinnl. 

 lanceolate, imbricated, the lowest one on the under side much larger than the 

 others ; segm. oblong, blunt, faintly toothed, the teeth not awned ; texture sub- 

 coriaceous ; both surfaces naked ; rachis slightly fibrillose ; sori principally in 

 two rows near the midrib; invol. peltate or reniform. Hk. Sp. 4. jo/30. 

 t. 226. Lastrea, Hk. olim. 



Hab. Japan, southward to Hong-Kong. Habit intermediate between that of a 

 Lastrea, and typical Polystichum. 



32. A. (Polyst.) capense, Willd. ; st. scattered, 1-2 ft. 1.., firm, erect, greyish, 



