168 PTERIS. 



with allied species, Pt. Cretica, Pt. umbrosa, etc., lead to the supposition that the 

 broadly winged rachis is caused by the decurrent and confluent bases of the pinn:c, 

 and tlie more so as sometimes two or more of the lowest pairs are free, distant, 

 and the rachis not winged between them. The primary pinna;, whether simple 

 or compound, are rather distant, so that there are not in general more than five 

 to seven pairs ; of these sometimes all but the lowest pair are simple (undivided), 

 sometimes all but the uppermost pair are pinnated, and in one case the lower- 

 most pinnule is forked or bipartite. Terminal pinna; are occasionally 6-8 inches 

 long. 



19. Pt. (Eupteris) luxuriosa, Kze. ; "frond subcoriaceous 

 glabrous short triangular-ovate acuminate curved and flexu- 

 ose, subtripartite bi-tripinnate more simple above, pinnae on 

 each side 3-5, inferior ones long, superior ones shortly petio- 

 late, petiole decurrent, lowest very large enlarged downwards 

 {deo7'Sum auctis) triangular, all the partial pinnae or segments 

 from a decurrent base linear-lanceolate sometimes abbrevi- 

 ated sublobate, terminal ones all very long, fertile narrower 

 sterile and denticulate at the apex, sterile pinnules wider un- 

 equally dentato-serrate, primary and secondary rachises naked 

 at the base, above winged with the decurrent pinnae and as 

 well as the short stipes angled flexuose purplish straw-colour, 

 rhizome vertical thickly clothed with scales (? phyllobasis) 

 and roots fusco-paleaceous in the interstices.'' — Kze. in Linn. 

 XXI. p. 289 and 321. 



Hab. Marianne Islands, Manilla (Kze.). — "The plant first appeared in the 

 Berlin Garden, and was considered to be a variety of Pt. serrulaia. ' Haec vero 

 differt fronde longiore, angustiore, pinnis magis furcatim quam pinnatim divisa, 

 pinnis ensiformibus, infimis magis aiqualibus, rhachi stipiteque validioribus, raniis 

 flexuosis, petiolis alatis,' " Kze. I. c. 



20. Pt. (Eupteris) melanocaulon, Fee; "fronds ovoid bi- 

 trifid at the base pinnated at the apex, stipes capilliform 

 black smooth shining fragile, mesoneure very black, frondules 

 petiolate very much [longissime) arcuate linear in the sterile 

 part crenulate with a very long acumen, lamina sterile to- 

 wards the apex, indusium broad, sporangia ovoid, annulus 

 broad 18-articulate, spores trigonal smooth pellucid." — Fee, 

 Gen. Fil.p. 127, and 6me Mem. p. 31. t. 19./. 1. 



Ilab. Philippine Islands, Cuming. — " A delicate, herbaceous Fern, with the 

 rhizome erect, small. Total length 25-30 centim. Largest frondules 24 centim. 

 long, 4 millim. wide. Stipes erect and almost capillary. Some tickets of Mr. 

 Cuming, by mistake, bear the name of Tree-fern. It is quite herbaceous," Fe'e. — 

 This is quite unknown to me.* 



* Since the above was in type, the figure of M. Fee has appeared, and from 

 this it would appear that it is one of the many forms of Pt. Cretica, or the very 

 dubious Pt. acahi-ipes. Wall. : this latter has generally a black stipes and costa. 



