TUK'HOMANRS. 127 



investigated, as far as lay in his power, and more closely tlian any one else, 

 the subject of its aflinily with some exotic species, and clearly insisted upon 

 it, in his letters to uic, at a time when I was disposed to entertain a difrey- 

 ent opinion. My own fern-herbarium affords so ample a suite of speci- 

 mens from various localities, both in the old and the new world, that I feel 

 a degree of confidence in the correctness of my views, and in the (jpinion 

 that the above mentioned kinds may be considered forms of one and the 

 same species. Two of them, namely the var. from Jamaica, (Purdic) 

 and that from Tabasco, Mexico {Linden) may possibly prove distinct, but 

 the former is quite barren, and the latter mip:ht, I think, without violence 

 to nature, be considered a strongly marked variety. Of the identity of the 

 ordinary West Indian form, and the lirst described, as well as that of Ne- 

 pal, and the specimens from the Azores, Canaries, and Madeira, there can 

 be no reasonable doubt: — and even with reu^ard to the sessile kind so com- 

 mon in Brazil, and of which a sterile frond is well rei)resented by Raddi, 

 (Fil. Bras. t. HO) ; the same is found in the Sandwich Islands, mixed 

 with the usual form, and having a greater or lesser length of stipes. The 

 more or less distinct lips to the involucres is also a variable character, even 

 in our British specimens, and remarkably so in the Sandwich Island ones. 

 Mr. Andrews observes that in his elongated variety from Iveragh, the re- 

 ceptacles do not lie flat on the segments as do those of Killarney, but turn 

 up from the back of the fronds very conspicuously, and are generally much 

 curved. This may be owing to their great length, and the greater or less 

 exposure to the light. Mr. E. Newman, who has devoted such zealous at- 

 tention to the Ferns of this country, remarked scattered " moniliform or 

 jointed scales" (or hairs) on the Irish Jj-jf/tomanes, not noticed by botan- 

 ists, and of whicJi he has prepared a wood-cut for the forthcoming new edi- 

 tion of his ' British Ferns.' They exist in a greater or less degree on the 

 specimens from other countries ; and indeed in other species of the genus 

 also. 



36. T. Kunzeanum, Hook. ; caiidex long creeping, fronds 

 ample tall 3-4-pinnatifkl rather rigid very opaque almost black 

 when dry, primary and secondary segments remote arising 

 from slightly winged rachises (almost pinnate with the rachis 

 margined or winged), lowermost superior secondary ones ap- 

 pressed to the main rachis, ultimate segments rather short li- 

 near and undivided or somewhat cuneate and bifid, involucres 

 axillary or supraaxillary cylindrical slightly tapering at the 

 base quite free not winged scarcely spreading at the mouth 

 without distinct lips, receptacles much exserted, stipes very 

 long semiterete scarcely winged glabrous. (Tab. XXXIX. D.) 

 — T. radicans, Kze. in PL Crypt. Poepp. p. 106, {excl. si/n.) 

 — Adiantum scandens, &c.. Plum. Fil. t. 93 ? 



Hab. Peru, on trees, Pangoa, Mathncs, n. 1088 ; Papayaco, Poeppig {in 

 Herb. iKistr.) Caraecas, Linden, n. \76. — Very distinct, but perhaps most 

 nearly allied to the preceding, on which account I place it in this section ; 

 for the margined, or only slightly winged rachis, would rather have induced 

 me to refer it to the division with the "fronds pinnated, pinna di eompound- 

 ly pinnatifid." It does not appear to be noticed by any author except 

 ivunze, who has referred it to T. radicans, Sw., the 7'. scandens, Hedw., 

 from which it is in many respects totally difl"erent. The stipes is a span 



