PTERIS. 185 



jEgypt. Arab. p. 187, fide -^it' (non Linn.fil.) Pt. incompleta, 

 Cav. (Willd.J. Pt. palustris, Poir. (Webb). 



Hab. Arabia, Forskal. Madeira, Canary Islands, the Azores (Seuber), Mas- 

 son, and all travellers. Portugal {Herb. G undelsheimer , Schlecht.), rare, Serra de 

 Cintra, U'ehritsch, in Herb. Nostr, — Forskal, if Aiton is correct in referring his 

 Pt. serrulata here, is the first botanist who appears to have recognized and de- 

 scribed this species, as an Arabian Fern ; though Agardh is of a different opinion, 

 and says on the serrulata of Forskal, " Quoad descriptionera ad veram Pt. scrru- 

 latam referre mallem." The 2nd edition of ' Hortus Kewensis ' gives the Cape 

 of Good Hope as a locality, as does Schlechtendal (who adds Mauritius), and 

 probably they are not far wrong in doing so, as Brackenridge cites St. Helena; 

 but the Pteris here intended is now generally considered a distinct species, the 

 Pt. flabellata, Thunb., as is the Azorian specimen by Agardh, in my herbarium, 

 although in his ' Spec. Gen. Pteridis ' he places it under Pt. arguta. Our present 

 plant is indeed one very difficult to define specifically. It is usually of a firm tex- 

 ture, dark full green colour, the segments of the pinnae gradually (but not finely) 

 acuminate, distinctly serrated ; with abbreviated sori generally commencing at 

 the base and not extending beyond the middle of the segments. More or less 

 these characters prevail in the following supposed species, and our Azores plant 

 has assuredly as strong a claim to be ranked with the one as with the other. Pt. 

 quadriaurita chiefly differs by the blunter and entire segments of the pinnae. 



44. Pt. (Eupteris) flabellata, Th. ; fronds ample pedately 

 ovate membranaceous pinnate, pinnae generally sessile lan- 

 ceolate acuminate lowest pair of pinnae bipartite or unequally 

 pinnate a span or more long deeply pinnatifid nearly to the 

 costa, segments 1-1 ^ inch long linear or linear-oblong sub- 

 falcate scarcely acuminate rather obtuse serrate broadest and 

 decurrent at the base, veins forked near the middle lowest 

 inferior one arising from the main costa bifurcate its veinlets 

 spreading, sori rather narrow elongated often extending from 

 the base of the sinus nearly to the apex of the segments, 

 stipes elongated and rachises smooth stramineous very glossy. 

 —Thunb. Prodr. F. Cap. p. 733. Siv. Stjn. Fil. p. 99. Willd. 

 Sp. PL V. p. 396. Aff. Sp. Gen. Pterid. p. 37. " Pt. elegans, 

 Jacq. Fragm.p. 74. t. 116" [Kze.). Pt. arguta, Schlecht. Ad. 

 Fil. Prom. Bon. Sp. p. 43. Kze. in Linneca, \'\. p. 186, et in 

 Rev. Acot. Afr. i?i Linnaa, x. p. 524. — Var. Americana ; stipes 

 brownish, Aff. Sp. Gen. Pterid. p. 37- " Pt. lata. Link, Hort. 

 Berol. ii. p. 28." — Var. Ascensionis ; stipes sometimes rough 

 at the base, frond 6 inches to a foot high. Pt. Ascensionis, 

 Sw. Syn. Fil. pp. 100 et 294. Schkuhr, Fil. t. 94. IVilld. Sp. 

 PL V. p. 400. Lonchitis Ascensionis, Forst. in Com. Sac. 

 Gcett. ix. p. 72. 



Hab. South Africa, Thunberg and various travellers: Table Mountain, Dr. 

 Alexander; Uitenhage {Harvey, n. 528, in Herb. Nostr.); Macalisberg, Zeyher 

 and Burke, Mr. Sanderson (pinnfe elongated, segments quite linear). St. Helena, 

 Cuming, n. 425, Dr. Honker (southern declivity of Diana's Peak). Abyssinia, 



