56 LONCHITIS. 



SO say, the centre of the sorus, be it long or short, is in the very axil of the 

 sinus, whence it extends along the margin on both sides. In Pteris it ori- 

 ginates at the side of the lobes, and extends to the axil. 



1. L. aurita ; "fronds pinnate, pinnae pinnatifid lower- 

 most ones bipartite the lobes obtuse waved toothed at the 

 apex, stipes aculeated." Sw. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1536. Willd. 

 Sp. PL V. p. 462.— Plum. Fil. 14, t. 17. '' Peiiv. Fil. j^. 

 172, t. 4,/. 4." 



Hab. Martinique. — This is quite unknown to me ; and is perhaps altoge- 

 ther taken up, by Linnaeus and succeeding authors, from the figures above 

 quoted. It has the reticulated venation and the short lunate sori of true 

 Lonchilis ; but the bipartite lower pinnae and the aculeated stipes are at 

 variance with other species of the genus. It appears to be unknown to any 

 author since the time of Plumier : according to his figure however the sori 

 are quite those of the present genus, in shape and situation. 



2. h. Lindeitiana; fronds ample (bi?-) pinnate ihick-mem- 

 branaceons opaque on both sides copiously clothed with 

 fulvous hairs, pinnae (or pinnules) sessile a span long broad- 

 lanceolate acuminate deeply pinnatifid the ultimate ones de- 

 current into a bipinnatifid apex, lobes ovate with very deep 

 sinuses, upper ones rounded with small shallow sinuses all 

 copiously reticulated, sori numerous small lunulate and occu- 

 pying the axil of the shallow sinuses or elongated and though 

 the centre appears to be in the very axil of the sinus the two 

 extremities extend up the entire sides of the sinus, stipes (of 

 which w^e have only a small portion) unarmed and as well as 

 the main rachis furrovved on one side densely beset with 

 spreading ferruginous hairs. (Tab.LXXXIX. A.) 



Hab. Caraccas, S. America, Linden, n. 543. — It is also in Mr. J. Smith's 

 herbarium from the Paris garden (Jardin des Plantes) without any locality 

 being given. — I give this with great hesitation as a species of Lonchitis ; 

 though the general habit and venation are entirely those of L. pubcsccns of 

 the Mauritius : but the frond is thicker, more dense and opaque, the under 

 side of the main rachis is semiterele (not furrowed), and the sori, though 

 I believe in all cases originating in the axil of a sinus (as in Lonchitis) 

 extend, in the deeper sinuses, for a great way up the sides, so that it is 

 ■extremely difficult to say whether this should be a Pteris (Litobrochia, ac- 

 cording to venation) or a Lonchitis. I ought to observe that though my 

 specimen from Linden is 3 feet long, yet it may not exhibit the entire frond : 

 the true stipes is wanting, and prohahly the lower pinmc are wanting also. 

 If these latter should prove to be bipartite, that circumstance would bring 

 our plant near to the Lonchitis aurita, L. (Plumier, Fil t. 17): but there 

 the sori are small and uniform in the deep as well as in the shallow sinuses. 



3. L. pubescens, Willd. ; fronds ample bipinnate pubes- 

 centi-hirsute with fulvous hairs especially beneath, pinnae 



