PTEBIS. 159 



elongated broad-linear subfalcate obliquely attenuate at the 

 base nearly sessile firm subcoriaceous very opaque with a 

 short but finely acuminated entire point, uppermost ones 

 decurrent, sterile ones margined beneath with the slightly 

 indexed edge, veins quite obsolete above, beneath forming 

 very close indistinct transverse strise, involucres very narrow 

 continuous, stipes and rachis (subterete furrowed on one side) 

 and midrib beneath pale-brown and very glossy. (Tab. 

 CXIV. A.) — Pteris opaca, /. Smith, En. FiL Philipp. in Hook. 

 Journ. of Bot. iii. j^- 403 [name only). Pycnodoria opaca, 

 Presl, Epimel. Bot. p. 100. 



Hab. Isle of Samar, in the Philippines, Cuming, n. 342. — It is not the limited 

 number of words that constituted the Linnsean law for framing a specific charac- 

 ter, that will suffice to distinguish this from the preceding {Pt. Moluccana), and 

 yet they are truly different. The present is to be recognized by the usually smaller 

 pinnae, their opaque texture and very indistinct nervation, quite obsolete on the 

 upper side, beneath not to be perceived without the use of a lens, and then only 

 exhibiting very closely placed indistinct stria;. One of our specimens has forty- 

 five pinnae, another has five, one only three ; in the latter cases the terminal pinna 

 is much elongated, and is, in one case, a foot and a half long ! 



We are unable to conceive why M. Presl has formed a new genus of this, Pyc- 

 nodoria {ttvkvos, crassiis, and Sopa, cutis). No doubt it has a thick and opaque 

 frond in comparison with its close ally, Pt. Moluccana, but he attributes to it the 

 involucre or indusium of LindscsacecB : "A Pteride, quacum J. Smith commiscuit, 

 differt indusio proprio Lindsaiaceo." On the closest inspection of the involucre, 

 it is as represented in our figure, and we agree with M. Fee, who observes, re- 

 specting Pycnodoria, " Nous ne voyons pas en quoi elle differe des autres Pteris. 

 Le port est le meme ainsi que Torgauisation," etc. 



** Fronds pinnated, loiver pinnce more or less divided; pinnules distinct some- 

 times confluent. — The species of the previous subsection have the fronds 

 simply pinnated ; those of the present have the lower pinna; generally again 

 pinnated, indicating a passage to the truly bi-tripinnated kinds. 



4. Pt. (Eupteris) Cretica, L. ; a foot and a half (more or 

 less) high, caudex short thick subrepent, frond often a foot 

 long broad-ovate more or less acuminate firm coriaceo-mem- 

 branaceous bright-green glossy, pinnae 3 to 13 or 14 on each 

 side rather remote a finger's length to a span long, sterile 

 ones lanceolate, fertile ones linear-lanceolate acuminate some- 

 times very much so sessile or the upper ones more or less 

 decurrent, lowest pair and frequently 2 or 3 or more pairs 

 above them bi-tri- (or more) partite or pinnated, the seg- 

 ments mostly on the lower half, sterile portions strongly spi- 

 nuloso-serrated (rarely obtusely serrate or subentire), veins 

 simple or forked close almost horizontal, involucres quite 

 marginal narrow, stipes generally longer than the frond, and 

 the rachises stramineous or pale-brown smooth or minutely 



