45. NEPHROLEPIS. 301 



Polypod, Linn. N. tuberosa, Hk. Sp. 4. p. 151. (3, N. pectinata, Schott ; no 

 tubers, stem and rachis naked, pinnae less distinctly auricled at the base on the 

 upper, obliquely truncate on the lower side. 



Hab. Cuba and Mexico to Brazil and Peru ; Japan and N. India southward to 

 Australia and New Zealand ; Mascaren Isles, Zambesi -land, Guinea Coast. /3 restricted 

 to the New World. Distinguished from the two next by its narrower frond, close blunt" 

 pinnse, and submedial sori. Here belong N. occidentalis, Kunze, N. imbricata, Kaulf., 

 N. obtusifolia, Presl, and N. delicatula, Decaisne ; the latter a small delicate N. Indian 

 form. 



2. N. exaltata, Schott ; st. tufted, 4-6 in. 1., firm, naked, or slightly scaly ; 

 fr. 1-2 ft. or more 1., 3-6 in. br. ; pinnce close, l|-3 in. 1., |-^ in. br., usually 

 acute, the edge entire or slightly crenate, the upper side auricled, the lower 

 rounded at the base ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis and both sides nearly naked ; 

 sori submarginal ; invol. firm, distinctly reniform. HTc. Sp. 4. p. 152. /3, N. 

 hirsutula, Presl ; rachis densely and both surfaces more or less coated with 

 ferruginous down. Polyp. Forst. 



Hab. Cuba, the Bahamas, and Mexico to Peru and Brazil ; Polynesia ; N. India and 

 Chusan to Queensland and Ceylon ; Mauritius, Angola, Zambesi-land, Guinea Coast. 

 To this appear to belong N. volubilis, J. Sin., a straggling flexuose form, and the American 

 A. pendulum, Haddi, and A. pilosum, L. and F., the former a large pendulous, and the 

 latter a more delicate pilose plant. The typical form differs from the next species by its 

 smaller size and firmer distinctly reniform involucres ; but in some of the forms which 

 agree with this in habit, as the New World A. sesquipedale, Willd., N. valida, Kze., 

 N. neglecta, Kze., and Old World N. biserrata, Schott, the involucre resembles that of 

 ^V. acuta. 



3. N. acuta, Presl ; st. tufted, 4-8 in. 1., firm, naked or slightly scaly ; fr. 2-4 

 ft. 1., 8-12 in. br. ; pinnce 4-8 in. 1., ^-1 in. br., acute, the edge entire or slightly 

 crenate, the upper side auricled, the lower rounded at the base ; texture sub- 

 coriaceous ; rachis and both sides nearly naked ; sori submarginal ; invol. sub- 

 orbicular, subpeltate. Hk. Sp. 4. p. 153. N. punctulata, Presl. N. ensifolia, 

 Presl. N. splendens, Presl. 



Hab. Cuba and Guatemala to Peru and Brazil ; Polynesia, Hong-Kong, and Loo Choo to 

 Queensland ; Mascaren Isles, Zambesi-land, Natal, Angola, Guinea Coast. As will be seen, 

 this is almost identical with the preceding in its distribution. There is also a ferrugineo- 

 tomentose variety of this, which appears to be N. rufescens, Presl. N.platyotis, Kuuze, 

 is a form with the auricle sometimes 1 in. 1. 



4. N. ramosa, Baker ; st. very short, scattered, on a slender, wiry, wide- 

 creeping rhizome ; fr. 6-12 in. 1., 1-3 in. br. ; pinnce ^-1^ in. 1., J--J in. br., 

 slightly crenate, the upper edge auricled and truncate, parallel with the stem, 

 the lower oblique ; texture papyraceous ; rachis and both sides slightly villose, 

 the whole plant turning blackish when dried ; invol. roundish, very fugacious. 

 Aspidium, Beauv. N. obliterate, Hk. Sp. 4. p. 154. N. trichomanoides, J. Sm. 



Hab. West Tropical Africa, Johanna Island, Ceylon, Philippines, Malaccas, Australia, 

 Samoa, Fiji. Beauvois' is the oldest name, and he has given a characteristic figure in 

 the Flore d'Oware. Polypodium ? Beckleri, Hk. Sp. 4. p. 224, is this in a small barren 



state. 



5. N. altescandens, Baker ; st. very short, distant, on a slender, wiry, wide- 

 creeping rhizome ; fr. 6-12 in. 1., 1-3 in. br. ; pinnce ^-1^ in. 1., j-^ in. br., 

 distinctly crenato-pinnatifid, the upper edge auricled and truncate, parallel with 

 the stem, the lower oblique ; texture papyraceous ; rachis and both sides more or 

 less villose, the plant keeping green whe'n dried ; invol. very fugacious. Polyp. 

 Colla, Hk. Sp. 4. p. 218. P. procurrens, Kze. 



Hab. Juan Fernandez, Samoa, Queensland, N. S. Wales. This differs from the pre- 

 ceding by its firmer texture, crenate pinnae, and by not turning at all black when dried. 



