3i ALSO PHI LA. 



deeply piunatifid almost to the base, segments lanceolate acu- 

 minate serrated, sori following the course of the margin in a 

 nearly single series, and reaching to the main costa at the si- 

 nus, veins pinnated, vcinlets 2 — 3, lower ones often anasto- 

 mosing. Hook. Ic. PL t. 669. — /3, segments coarsely serrated. 

 H. serrata, J. Sm. in Hook. Lond. Journ. of Bot. v. i. p. 662, 

 {name onlij). 



Hab. Dominica, Dr. Imray, 18-39. ^. Jamaica? Wiles P {Herb. J. Smith). 

 — At first sight this has a good deal the appearance of the preceding, H, 

 horrida ; but the pinnae are much narrower, smaller, 10 — 12 inches long, 

 apparently always glabrous, the segments serrated, the veins much less co- 

 piously pinnated. The H. serrata, J. Sm. (without character), may, I think, 

 be safely considered a variety of this. (v. supra p. 32, n. 12). 



3. Alsophila, Br. Mart. 



Cyatheae sp. of authors. Hemitelia (I sp.), Br. Presl. 

 Amphicosmia, Garcln. Metaxya, Presl. Gymnosphaera, Bl. 

 Chnoophora, Kaidf. Trichopteris, Presl. Amphidesmiura, 

 Schott. 



Sori globose, situated upon a vein or in the axil of a fork. 

 Receptacle elevated, frequently villous, punctiform in the sub- 

 genus Meta.xya. Involucre none, unless a loose laciniated de- 

 ciduous scale seen in some species and inserted at the lower 

 side of the base can be so called, or a minute indistinct mem- 

 brane covered by the sorus, or a few hairs radiating from 

 the base. Veins pinnated, simple or forked, free. — Arbores- 

 cent Ferns, similar in general habit and structure to Cyathea 

 (A. pruinosa excepted). — Hook. Gen. Fil. tab. 9 and 21. 

 Tab. 42. A. (Hemitelia, Br.) Tab, 42. B. (Metaxya, Pr.) 

 Tab. 34. (Trichopteris, Pr. Chnoophora, Kaulf.) Tab. 100, 

 (Gymnosphaera, BL) 



Obs. The plants which I refer to this genus are those CyatheacecB in which 

 there is no real or evident involucre ; for I do not consider as such the lax, 

 deciduous, fimbriated scale seen at the base of Hemitelia Capensis, Br., and 

 Alsophila aspera. The learned and accurate Brown indeed viewed the scale 

 in question in a different light, when he referred the former plant to his genus 

 Hemitelia. If it be a true involucre, I do not see how some other Alsophi- 

 la: which have deciduous scales under the sorus, especially A. aspera (see 

 Bauer's figure in Hook. Gen. Fil.) can be retained in Alsophila. 



If the genus Cyathea be difficult of determination, so far as the species are 

 concerned, the same difficulties exist here, and greater ones still, because 

 it is scarcely possible in several cases, with our imperfect specimens, to say 

 whether many should be referred to Polypodium or to Alsophila. 



Sul)gen. I. Metaxya. Veins free, simple, rarely forked and only 

 near the base, copious, parallel, very patent. Sori one on each 

 vein forming a line or series close to the costa, and there are 

 frequently others higher up on the same veins. — Tropical 

 America. Fronds pinnate. Pinnce large, simple, a foot or 



