PELL.EA. 147 



these and from all others with which I am acquainted. The caudex is unknown 

 to me ; the stipes nearly a span long, and the frond about the same length. The 

 entirely sessile and even subdecurreut pinnules are a striking character in this 

 plant. 



24, P. Boivini, Hook. ; csespitose, a span to a foot high, 

 caudex nodose with copious woolly fibres, fronds subtrian- 

 gular-ovate bi-tri pinnate glabrous, pinnules elliptical or ovate 

 sessile coriaceous spreading horizontally very obtuse on very 

 short petiolules subcordate at the base all entire opaque, veins 

 forked free internal obsolete, involucres subintramarginal ra- 

 ther narrow membranaceous obscurely crenate at the edge, 

 stipes subflexuose stout, and as well as the wiry rachises 

 black-ebeneous glossy. (Tab. CXVIII. A.) 



Hab. South-eastern Africa, Macalisberg, Zeylier and Burke. Island of Nis- 

 sobe, east coast of Africa, M. Boivin. Mauritius, Bojer. 



To this plant there seems to be no evident caudex ; several stipites rise from a 

 very tufted fibrous root, are at first more or less curved or flexuose, then erect 

 and remarkably strict where they form the main rachis. The secondary rachises, 

 which are sometimes a little hairy, stand out horizontally, and the pinnules at 

 right angles from these, and appear to be soon deciduous, falling off from the 

 rachises, leaving their short petiolules, the denuded fronds then very much re- 

 sembling some black marine coral. Tliis species again has a certain affinity with 

 P. hastata, but the pinnules are very different in shape, and never again chvided 

 or pinnatifid ; still more affinity with the North American P. atro-purpurea, but 

 that also has differently formed pinnules. Nor is it far removed in general habit 

 from the Mauritian Pteris (Litobrochia, Presl, Doryopteris, /. Sm. and Fee) ar- 

 ticulatn, Kaulf. ; but in that the pinnules are much larger, and in the fertile ones 

 gradually and much acuminated, and in the copiously anastomosing venation 

 (though difficult to be seen) there is ample means of distinction. I may how- 

 ever observe that in our P. Boivini I have seen some of the veins, though rarely, 

 anastomosing. It is not the normal state of the venation. 



25. p. robusta, Hook.; "fronds uniform? (not of two 

 kinds), fertile one coriaceous glabrous oblong obtuse tripin- 

 nate or bipinnato-pinnatifid, pinnules or lacinise ovate or el- 

 liptical cuneate at the base, general rachis and stipes short 

 seraiterete stout curved flexuose purple, caudex stout creep- 

 ing densely ferrugineo- paleaceous," Kze. — Allosorus ro- 

 bustus, Kze. in Linnaa, x. p. 502, and in Schkulir, Fil. Suppl. 

 ii. j9. 7. t. 104. 



Hab. South Africa ; stony mountains in Naniaqna Land, Dre'ge. — My own spe- 

 cimens of this, I think, very distinct plant, are derived from the same source as 

 those described by Kunze, the author of the species ; and as the entire stipes and 

 caudex are wanting to me, I give his character, which, together with his figure 

 above quoted, appear to be very faithful. He seems however to have a ground- 

 less fear lest it might prove to be identical with Cryptogramme (Allosorus) crispa. 

 " HfEsitavi paullisper," he says, " nuni speciem J. crispo similem separarem, nee ne 

 fide comparatione speciminum A. crinpi e diversissimis regionibus persuasum 

 mihi est, utramque esse diversam." " In our present plant," Kunze goes on to 



