7-1 ilYPOLEI'IS. 



5 — 8 inches long chartaceo-membranaceoiis pellucid pale 

 green bi- subtripinnate, pinnules distant elliptical approach- 

 ing to rhomboid very obtuse at the apex and the base petio- 

 lulate deciduous, petiolule short intensely black glossy dilated 

 at the apex and inserted a little within the margin beneath, 

 veins and marginal sori lew remote, involucre j^ale membra- 

 naceous subrotund rather large, stipes and rachises dark 

 black-purple glossy slender. (Tab. LXXXVIII. C.) Adian- 

 tum ])auperculum, Kze. in Schkh. Fil. Si/ppl. ii. p. 65, /. 127. 

 Cassebeera micromera, ^Hort. Berol.'' Klotzscli, in Herb, nostr. 



Hub. Province of St. Jago, Cuba, Linden, n. 1864. — A very remarkable 

 plant, but assuredly rather referrible to Hi/polepis or Clieilanthes than to 

 Adianlum. lu age the involucres are often seen spread open, yet uot bear- 

 ing the sori. The shape of the pinnules is very constant, and a great pe- 

 culiarity, noticed though not represented by Kunze, is the dense black short 

 petiolule to each pinnule, which on careful inspection will be found to be 

 attached to the pinnule a litlle within the margin, and there articulated: 

 from this petiole the pinnule is easily detached, and the petiole remaining 

 on the rachis is seen to be dilated at the top into a small disk, which is the 

 point of attachment. I know not that this curious species has been found 

 anywhere but in Cuba and by Linden. Some of our specimens are tripin- 

 nate, as represented by Kunze. 



30. H. Gardneri, Hook. ; tufted small (3 inches high), 

 fronds oblong-lanceolate pinnate glabrous, pinnae sessile ho- 

 rizontal herbaceous oblong obtuse subfalcate entire or slightly 

 lobed dimidiato-cuneate at the base and auricled at the base 

 above, sori several approximate marginal extending to the auri- 

 cle, involucres membranaceous between reniform and semior- 

 bicular rather small, stipes very short (scarcely any) and as well 

 as the rachis glossy purple-black ebeneous. (Tab. XCII. B.) 



Hab. Side of a narrow ravine on the summit of the Serra de Natividade, 

 Brazil, Gardner, n. 3556. — Perfectly distinct from any other Hi/polepis or 

 Cheilanthes, and the fructification is entirely that of the present genus. 

 Notwithstanding the simply pinnated character of the fronds it must natu- 

 rally, in the habit and texture of the fronds, auricled pinuffi, and in the po- 

 sition and arrangement of the sori, and in the ebeneous stipes and rachis 

 rank with the two preceding. The roots are tufted, very fibrous. As in 

 H. radiata and //. peduta, the venation is not visible (s;ive in the young 

 pinnae) unless held up between the eye and the light, it will then be seen 

 to be pinnated, and that the sorus originates from a single vein. I have 

 seen no other specimens but those of Mr. Gardner above referred to. 



Dubious Species. 



Hypolepis Sellowiana, Klotzsch, in Hook. Herb., does 

 not appear to possess an involucre, on which account I do 

 not describe it here. It is a Brazilian plant, and 1 know not 

 if Dr. Klotzsch has anywhere published it. 



