300 45. NEPHROLEPIS. 



Polyp. Linn. Aspid. Sw. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 48. j3, N. apiifolium, Hk. & Am. ; 

 larger and more compound ; lower pinnae deltoid, 1 ft. or more 1. ; rachis broad- 

 winged above, often free below ; sori sometimes immersed. A. latifolium, 

 Presl. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 51. A. dilaceratum, Kze. ' 



Hab. Cuba and Mexico southward to Brazil and Peru, Polynesian and Malayan 

 Islands, Himalayas (up to 4,000 ft.), Neilgherries, Ceylon, Mascaren Isles, Zambesi-land, 

 Angola, Guinea Coast. This includes all the Eusagenice (six species) of Moore's Index. 

 The extremes differ in size very much, but all the forms appear to agree in sori and 

 venation. 



222. N. (Sagen.) Griffithii, Baker ; st. 1-2 ft. 1., brownish, not glossy ; fr. 3-4 

 ft. 1., with a large terminal pinna, cut down nearly to .the rachis in 'the lower 

 part into lanceolate divisions, with deep lanceolate-acuminate lobes, below this* 

 several pinnse on each side, the lowest deltoid, 1 ft. or more 1., by nearly as broad, 

 deeply pinnatifid above, pinnate below ; texture papyraceo-herbaceous ; main 

 veins distinct to the edge, with copious free included veinlets ; sori rather large, 

 in two rows, nearly all terminating free veinlets. 



Hab. Burmah, Griffith. This comes nearest the largest forms of the preceding, but 

 the venation is closer, and it has copious free veins, and sori not on the connected veinlets. 



223. N. (Sagen.) giganteum, Baker ; st. 1-2 ft. 1., glossy, chesnut-brown ; fr. 

 2-3 ft. L, 12-18 in. br., deeply pinnatifid at the apex, with lanceolate sinuated 

 lobes ; below this 4-6 pinnce on each side, the lowest much the largest, often 

 1 ft. 1., pinnate at the base, with deeply pinnatifid pinnl. ; texture papyraceo- 

 herbaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins anastomosing principally in 

 costal arches ; sori large, terminating free veins, principally in rows on the lobes 

 on both sides the main veins. Aspid. Blume. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 50. 



Hab. Ceylon, Philippines, Malaya. Resembles N. cicutarium in habit, but the texture 

 is thicker, and the venation much less compound. 



224. N. (Sagen.) macrophyllum, Baker ; st. tufted, 1-2 ft. 1., dull brownish, 

 Bcaly below ; fr. 2-3 ft. 1., 1 ft. or more br., with a large terminal pinna, often 

 forked at the base, and 4-8 lanceolate-oblong lateral ones on each side, 6-12 in. 1., 

 1-3 in. br., entire or slightly lobed, the lowest pair forked at the base ; texture 

 papyraceo-herbaceous ; rachis and both surfaces usually naked ; primary veins 

 continued nearly to the edge, with numerous fine areolse with free included 

 veinlets between them ; sori in 2 rows between each primary vein. Aspid. 

 Swz. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 56. 



Hab. Tropical America, from Cuba and Mexico to Brazil and Peru. The Malayan 

 A. ffaenkei, Presl, is either a form of this or very near it. 



GEN. 45. NEPHROLEPIS, Schott. 



Sori round, arising from the apex of the upper branch of a vein, generally 

 near the edge. Invol. reniform or roundish. Veins in all free, the fronds simply 

 pinnate, with the pinnae articulated at the base and often very deciduous in the dried 

 plant, with white cretaceous dots on the upper surface. Belts the world in the 

 Tropics, passing a little beyond them both north and south. TAB. V. f. 46. 



1. N. cordifolia, Baker ; caud. suberect or oblique, the wiry fibres often 

 bearing tubers ; st. tufted, wiry, 1-4 in. L, slightly scaly ; fr. 1-2 ft. 1., 1^-2 in. 

 br. ; pinnce close, often imbricated, about 1 in. 1., |-| in. br., usually blunt, the 

 edge entire or slightly crenate, the under side rounded or cordate, the upper 

 distinctly auricled at the base ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis slightly scaly ; both 

 sides nearly naked ; sori in a row about midway between the midrib and edge ; 

 invol. firm, distinctly reniform, oblique or opening towards the outer edge. 



