170 DAVALLIA. 



coriaceous deltoideo-ovate stipitate (stipes about as long as 

 the frond) tripinnate bullate on the upper side, pinnae broad 

 lanceolate, pinnules and segments mostly rather obtuse pin- 

 natifid or incised, incisures generally retuse soriierous, invo- 

 lucres truncated at the mouth. (Tab. LV. C.) — Cav. Prail. 

 1801, n. 604. Siv. Si/n. Fil. p. 132. Willd. Sp. PI. v. p. 

 ATI. Br. Prodr.p. 157. — a. pinnules mostly obtuse and in- 

 cisions retuse. (Tab. Nostr. LV. Cf. 1, 2). Sieb. Syn. Fil. 

 n. 126. Fl. Mixt. n. 240. — /3. pinnoe and pinnules more at- 

 tenuated, incisions more acute, sori narrower. (Tab. Nostr. 

 LV. C./. 3, 4). D. solida, Hook, et Am. Bot. of Beech. Voy. 

 p. 75, {not Swartz). 



Hal), a. New Holland, (Cavanillcs), B)-own, Allan and Rich. Cunning, 

 ham, J. D. Hooker. Norfolk Islaiul, Dr. V. Thomson. — /3. Port Jackson, 

 Frascr. Sydney, ^4. Cunnincjham. Coral Islands, lieechey. — The remark 

 on the difficulty of discriminating different species of Ferns, offered under 

 the preceding, is peculiarly applicable to the present one: for, assuredly, 

 iu various specimens and in different parts of the same specimen, not un- 

 frequently, there are various forms of the segments and of the portions of 

 the segments which bear the sori : so that on the one hand it approaches 

 some of the narrow states of D. solida, except that the sori are shorter, and 

 on the other D. Canaricnsis, which latter however is always move com- 

 pound. I am disposed to refer the D. solida of Hook, and Am. 1. c. to the 

 present species. The frond is nearly a foot long, and the stipes about the 

 same length. 



Subgen. V. Saccoloma. Sori marginal or a little within the 

 margin. Involucres small, niembranaceoiis, half -cup -shaped, 

 or more rarely reniform, arising from the apex of free parallel 

 veins, often intramarginal, and the margin being sometimes 

 crenated and membranaceous, gives the appearance of acces- 

 sory involucres. Tropical Ferris, of the Old World, Fronds 

 generally tufted or fascicled, or creeping, once or rarely tivice 

 pinnated, herbaceous and membranaceous, rarely subcoria- 

 ceous. Saccoloma, J. Sm., and Microlepia in part. (Hook. 

 Gen. Fil. TAB. LVIII. B.) 



Obs. Assuredly this group, which some consider deserving of being ele- 

 vated to the rank of a genus (as a whole, according to the ideas of Presl, 

 or as confined only to one species, the original Saccoloma elegans, following 

 the views of Kaulfuss and J. Sm.), presents no characters by which to dis- 

 tinguish it generically from Davallia ; for it gradually passes into Micro- 

 lepia by means of D. Khasigana and its allies. J. Smith and Kunze consi- 

 der the marginal teeth of the crenatures in the light of accessory or spurious 

 involucres, and hence more allied to Dicksotiiea, but I cannot concur in 

 this opinion. 



48. D. Saccoloma, Spr. ; " caudex creeping," fronds very 

 tall lanceolate pinnated glabrous membranaceous glossy, pin- 

 na3 (sometimes a foot long)petiolulate lanceolate acuminate the 



