61. PLATYCERIUM. 425 



132. A. (Photi.) drynarioides, Hk. ; Jr. subsessile, several ft. 1., 1 ft. or more 

 br., the upper part with numerous distant Lomarioid pinnce, sometimes 1 ft. 1., 

 1 lin. br., below this pinnatifid, with numerous close entire lanceolate-acuminate 

 lobes 4-6 in. 1., lj-lf in. br., which reach down nearly to the rachis, the lower 

 ones passing down gradually into a mere undulated wing to the rachis, which is 

 continued to its very base ; texture very coriaceous ; main veins' raised, with 

 transverse veinlets, and between them copious small areolse with free veinlets. 

 m. Sp. 5. p. 2S2. 



Hab. Penang, Sir W. Norris, Mactier ; Solomon Isles, Milne. The leafy pinnse, though 

 adnate to the rachis, break away from it very readily. 



GEN. 61. PLA.TYCERIUM, Desv. 



Sori forming large patches on the upper part of the lower surface of the 

 rt 

 for 



fertile fronds. A small widely-diffused genus, well marked by its dichotomously 

 ked fertile fronds with stags' -horn-like divisions. TAB. IX. f. 61. 



1. P. alcicorne, Desv. ; barren fr. rounded, convex, downy when young, the 

 edge sinuated, the lobes spreading ; fertile fr. 2-3 ft. 1., clustered, erect, 2-3 

 times dichotomous ; ult. divisions ligulate, bluntish, the fruit in the last forks 

 and at their base in very irregular patches ; under surface covered with thin 

 white cottony down. Hk. Sp. 5. p. 282. 



Hab. Temperate Australia, and a larger form in the Mascaren Isles and Seychelles ; 

 and a similar plant has been gathered by Dr. Spruce in Peru. 



2. P. cethiopicum, Hk. ; barren fr. rounded, convex, downy when young, the 

 edge more or less lobed, the lobes spreading ; fertile fr. 2-3 ft. 1., clustered, 

 pendent, twice dichotomous, the disk and first division broader than in the 

 preceding, the patch of fruit surrounding the sinus and passing into the fork so 

 as to be shaped like the letter V ; under surface covered with thin white cottony 

 down. Hk. Sp. 5. p. 283. G.F.t.Q. A. stemaria, Beauv. 



Hab. Guinea Coast and Angola. Dr. Welwitsch has furnished us with a plant 

 (P. angolense, Welw. MSS.) which is most like this, but has a broad-cuneate fertile frond 

 9 in. br. at the top, without either forks or horns, and with a patch of fruit nearly as 

 broad as the lamina. 



3. P. grande, J. Sm. ; barren fr. very large, suborbicular, convex, or the 

 upper ones erect, deeply laciniated with spreading or inflexed divisions ; fertile 



fr. 4-6 ft. 1., pendent, in pairs, the disk broad-cuneate, with the sorus against the 

 upper edge, occupying the disk only, with an elongated dichotomously forked 

 division beyond it at each corner ; both surfaces green and smooth. Hk. Sp. 5. 

 p. 284. Fil. Ex. t. 86. 



Hab. North Australia, Philippines, and Singapore. There is only one soriferous patch 

 to each frond, and it is sometimes nearly a foot broad. 



4. P. Wallichii, Hk. ; barren fr. deeply lobed, with inflexed forked divisions ; 

 fertile fr. in pairs, pendent, each in two divisions, in each of which the cuneate 



disk has a rounded upper edge occupied by a sorus, from each side of which a 

 once-forked division is produced ; texture thick, the under surface matted with 

 yellowish woolly pubescence. Hk. Sp. 5. p. 284. Fil. Ex. t. 97. 



Hab. Malay Peninsula. Here the two soriferous patches are only 3-4 in. br., and 

 occupy a semicircular projection with the forks springing almost from its base. 



6. P. biforme, Blume ; barren fr. imbricated, very thick, especially towards 

 the base, the edge sinuato-lobate ; fertile fr. 6-15 ft. 1., repeatedly dichotomous 



3 H 



