178 DAVALLIA. 



withering, as it often does, while the apex of the lobe is still green and 

 vigorous, induces me to prefer placing it in Davallia : and it is in perfect 

 harmony with individuals of the present subgenus. — Stipes a span or more 

 high, triquetrous, stout, firm, brownish straw-colour, glossy. Frond a 

 span or more long, ovate in circumscription. Primary pinnre patent, 4 — 5 

 inches long, much attenuated ; the rachis throughout firm, stout and wiry, 

 stramineous. Pinnules ^ to i of an inch long, truly dimidiate, half- 

 ovate, the lower margin forming a straight or falcate line, the upper the 

 segment of a circle, deeply divided to the lower margin into narrow linear 

 simple or forked segments," resembling some Trichnmanes or Hymenophyl- 

 liirn : the apex dilated and usually toothed, bearing the sorus : the upper- 

 most pinnules are gradually smaller and are reduced to extremely narrow 

 simple or forked almost setiform segments. 



Subgen. VII. Microlepia, Pr. Sori intramarginal, on a small 

 tooth or lobule generally beloiv a sinus of a lobe. Involucre 

 small, membranaceous, half-cup-shaped, the mouth truncated 

 [rarely suborbiculari-reniform),from the apex of a free, more 

 or less divaricating, vein or veinlet. — Tropical Ferns of the 

 Old and New World. Caudex creeping [probably in all). 

 Fronds mostly ample, decompound, membranous or verging to- 

 wards it; ultimate pinnules or lobules usually small and 

 bearing small fructifications. (Hook. Gen. Fil. tab. 

 LVIlt. A.) 



Obs.. Of all the groups or subgenera of Davallia, this is to me the least 

 satisfactory, and I preserve it in deference to those who are in favour of 

 constituting Microlepia a distinct genus. The D. polypodioides may be 

 considered the type of this, and the most distinct in habit and character 

 and in the small cup-shaped involucres, which afford something tangible : 

 still we have in D. Jamaicensis a fern with so completely the habit and 

 general appearance of D. polypodioides, that, were it not for the involucres, I 

 should take it for the most common form of that species, but the invo- 

 lucres are quite those of a Leucostegia. Again, some species have an 

 elongated half-cup-shaped, or if I may so say, cuneated involucre ; these, 

 both in fructification and texture of the frond, resemble Saccoloma, and 

 are only here distinguished from that subgenus by their more compound 

 fronds. I have placed the subgenus Odontoloma between the two groups in 

 question, on account of its affinity in habit and composition with the 

 § Saccoloma, especially with D. Imrayana. 



GG. D. Amhoynensis, Hook. ; rather tall, frond ovato- 

 lanceolate subcoriaceoits tripinnate, pinna? much acuminate, 

 lower secondary ones very long acuminate, pinnules lanceo- 

 late subfalcate pinnatifid cuneato-attenuated at the base and 

 decurrent, sori small in the inner margin of the lobules gene- 

 rally at the sinus, stipes elongated. (Tab. LVI. C.) — Daval- 



54. Wall. Cat. n. 2^19 



* We have recently received from Mr. GrilTith his ^ Cryptogamous Plants 

 of Dr. Roxburgh, forming the 4th and last part of the Flora Indica, pub- 

 lished by permission of Government from Dr. Roxburgh's MSS. in the 



