38 ADIANTUM. 



Bay, Whitaker. Subtropical New Holland, \r\X,er\o\, Major Mitchell, n. 340 

 ami n. 1S3. Swan River, Drummond. E. Coast, tropics, All. Cunning- 

 ham (pinnules a little larger than usual). New Zealand, Northern Island, 

 Coleiiso, Dr. Sinclai?; J. D. Hooker, Ike. — I retain this Adiantum as a 

 species with much hesitation, and out of respect to others ; for I do not 

 myself see how il can be dislinsjuished from some of the common forms of 

 A. JElhiopicnm, a very widely disjjersed fern, as T have already shown, 

 both in the Old and in the New World, and therefore not unlikely to exist in 

 Australia and New Zealand. Our copious specimens are generally of a 

 brighter green and of a firmer texture than is usual in the dried specimens 

 of that species ; but the prevailing form of the pinnules and the position and 

 shape of the involucres are alike in both ; so that, had no A. axsimile been 

 published, I should without hesitation have referred the Australian plant to 

 JEthinpicum. Swartz, with whom the species originated, only alludes to 

 its affinity with A. fragile " sed laxius, stipite longiore, fronde minus divisa 

 el piunuiis minima basi cuneatis.'' His figure, it will be seen, is a good 

 representation of A. ^thiopicum. Labillardiere's description and figure 

 of A. trigonnm, 1. c, equally well accord with A. Aithiopicinn, and that 

 Jlr. Brown has rightly referred to Swartz's assimile ; while of this A. tri- 

 goninn Willdenow observes, " valde simile A. ^thiopico, sed chanicteribus 

 indicatis diversum:" yet in his specific character there is nothing whatever 

 to distinguish it, — " frondibus triplicato-pinnatis, pinnulis subrotundo-rhom- 

 beis obtuse trilobis apice crenatis, indusiis lunatis, stipite trigono." Were 

 I myself to frame a character it would be verbatim that of jEthiopicum. 



76. A. pulchellum, Bl. ; "fronds divaricated triplicato- 

 pinnate membranaceous glabrous, pinnules peliolate trapezoid 

 obtuse crenulated at the upper margin, lowest ones obovato- 

 rotundate, involucres reniform glabrous, stipes semiterate 

 shining black-purple." Bl. En. PL Jav. Fil. p. 216. 



Hab. Woods, interior of Java, Blimie. — " Maxime simile Adianlo 

 jEthiopico, L., cui diflfert forma pinnularum." Bl. 



77. A. fumarioides, Willd. ; " fronds triplicato-pinnate, 

 pinnules subrotundo-rhomboid obtuse undivided cremated at 

 the apex, fructiferous ones entire terminated with the linear 

 continuous sorus." Willd. Sp. PI. v. j)- 452. 



Hab. Bourbon, Fluggc (Willd.). Near A. ^thiopicum, but different 

 in the small size and the linear continuous sori. 



78. A. digitatiim, Pr. ; frond tripinnate, primary and se- 

 condary pinna? ovate, pinnules membranaceous all on long 

 petiolules cordate truncated or with a shallow sinus at the 

 base pubescenti-hirsute nearly equilateral very patent deeply 

 trifid almost tripartite, lobes cuueate incised and lobed, 

 elongated stipes and rachis, of which the ultimate divisions 

 are pubescent ebeneous and glossy, sori — } Presl, Tent. 

 Pterid. p. 159, name only. {Klotzi^ch^ in Herb. Hook.) " Ly- 

 godium Herb. Briu. Beg. Ber. n. 152." 



