72 HVPOLEl'IS. 



ing, stipites sparsely tufted 4 — (j inches long slender ebene- 

 ous shining scaly with long subulate ferruginous scales only 

 at the base, fronds deltoid membranaceous quite glabrous 

 except a few lax scattered long hairs on the rachises 4 inches 

 long bi- tripiunate, pinnules obovate or oval-oblong rarely 

 oblong decurrent and except some next the main rachis co- 

 adunate obscurely crenato-dentate sometimes ciliated rarely 

 pinnatifid, sori copious approximate membranaceous semi- 

 ovate or lunate jagged or ciliated at the margin. (Tab. 

 LXXVII. C.) — Cheilanthes Capensis, Sw. Sf/?i. Fil. p. 128. 

 Ch. praetexta, Kaulf. En. Fil. p. 212. Adianlum Capense, 

 Tlinnb. Vrodr. p. 173. Kze. in Linntea, x. p. 530. 



Hab. Cape of Good Hope, TInmherg, Dr^cfe, Ecklon, Zei/hcr, and others, 

 Algoa Bay, Forbes. — A very distinct species, with a decidedly creeping 

 scaly caudex. The fronds meinbranaceons conspicuously penuiveined, the 

 veins slender forked. The plant dries of an olive-brown colour. We can- 

 not agree with Kunze in placing this in the genus Adiantum, though we 

 confess it is not in nature and habit allied to any species of Hypolepis or 

 of Cheilanthes. 



(Fronds with tufted roots, no creeping caudex. Cheilanthoidece). 



26. H. radiata ; fronds radiate involucrate at the base of 

 the ray, rays lanceolate acuminate pinnate, pinnules horizon- 

 tal nuuierous approximate oblong subfalcate auricled at the 

 superior base, sori copious all round the margin and auricle 

 rather small semiorbicular membranaceous, stipites tufted 

 (from a short thick rooting scaly caudex) exactly terete ebe- 

 neous, rachises ebeneous grooved above. (Tab. XCI. A.) — 

 Adiantum radiatum, Linn. Sp. PL p. 1536. Sw. Si/n. Fil. p. 

 121. JViUd. Sp. PL V. p. 437. Plum. FiL t. 100. 



Hab. Tropical America, abundant; West Indian Islands, Brazil, Colum- 

 bia, central America, Mexico, Peru : from various collectors. — Extremely 

 variable in size, but very constant to its characters: our smallest specimens 

 are from Peru, Chacapoyas (il/«</iPM's), and Maynas (Poe;>pi_(/) : numerous 

 specimens from 4 inches to a span high : our largest are from Guatemala 

 (Mr. SVmncr), 2—3 feet long, with fronds 24 — 26 inches in the spread of the 

 rays. All authors have hitherto placed this plant in Adiantum : — Mr. 

 Brown has, a quarter of a century ago, marked the Banksian specimens as 

 belonging to Cheilanthes : and Mr. J. Smith, in his ' Genera of Ferns,' 

 under Adiantum, observes that " the species of that genus with reniform 

 indusia are distinguished from Cheilanthes with a similar indusium, not 

 only by the indusium being sporangiferous, but also by the indusium being 

 produced on the converging apices of two or more venules, whereas the sori 

 of Cheilanthes are seated on the apices of single venules, which terminate 

 in the axis of the indusium : hence Adiantum radiatum, L., is in accord- 

 ance with that character a true Cheilanthes." — Agreeably to the view I 

 have taken of HtjjMlepis it will rank here, and distinct as it is from other 

 species it has much in common with the following, H. 



