46 BLECHNUM. 



thick ascending bearing numerous fibrous radicles, fronds nu- 

 merous tufted sessile or with short stipites (1-2 inches long) 

 narrow-lanceolate acuminate much and gradually tapering 

 below deeply pinnatifid 3 inches to a span long, coriaceo- 

 membranaceous, segments numerous patent triangular-ovate 

 or oblong generally obtuse several pairs of the inferior ones 

 very short small and acutely triangular all confluent, those 

 at the summit gradually smaller and at length forming an 

 acuminated apex, veins lax often forked, sori abbreviated in 

 the smaller specimens solitary and confined to the under side 

 of the rachis, in the apex double. — Sio. " Vet, Ac. Hand/. 

 1817, ]}• 7^'" Klotzsch, in Linnmi, xx. /». 348. Presl, 

 Epimel. Bot. p. 104. Bl. ceteracinum, Raddi, Si/n. Fil. Bras. 

 52. t. 60, f. \. B. polypodioides, A-ar. fronde angustiori, 

 Kunze in Linncea, ix. p. 60 {according to a specimen in Herb. 

 Nostr., and I think also Kze. in Schkh. Fil. Suppl. t. 58. 

 Jiff. 1 a, and jyi'obabhj fig. 1 itself). Bl. angustifrons, Fee, 

 Snie Mem. Foug. p. 25. t. 9. /. 2 ? 



Hab. Brazil, Rio Janeiro, Raddi, Mikan. Goyaz, Pohl. Minas Geraes, Gard- 

 ner, hZ%A. British Guiana, Richard Schomburffk, n. 1142. Mexico, Galeotti i 

 (Fee). Peru, Pteppiff (received from Kunze with the name Bl. poli/podioides), 

 Mathews, n. 1807. Panama, Seemami. Antioquia, N. Granada, Purdie. — We 

 have already spoken of the affinity of this plant and Bl. polypodioides, Raddi, 

 and, indeed, it is the var. am/ustior of that species of Kunze in the Linna^a, 

 1. c. ; and I suspect also that his figure in Schkuhr's Fil. Suppl. t. 58, letter a, if 

 not also fig. 1, should he referred here. The distinguishing characters I find to 

 l)e in the smaller, usually sessile fronds, very narrow-lanceolate, gradually and 

 long-tapering to the base, with no free pinnules, everywhere, to the lowest seg- 

 ment, pinnatifid, the small, al)hreviated ones below numerous, the shorter sori, 

 and generally the absence of one (the uppermost on the segment), save at the 

 apex where the sorus is double. My specimens, from seven different localities, 

 are very constant to these characters. A neat and peculiar state of this plant is 

 exhibited in Mr. Purdie's specimens from Antioquia, which form small stellated 

 tufts, the fronds scarcely 2 inches long, quite sessile, with never more than a 

 solitary sorus on a lobe, except at the apex. Although perfect as to fructifica- 

 tion, the tufts are evidently young, the root consisting of fibres, no caudex being 

 formed. In the present and the preceding species, stout fibres or runners become 

 sarmentose, and produce new plants. In both, too, we find that the young sori 

 are more or less remote from the costa. 



7. Bl. triangulare, Lk. ; " rhizome obliquely ascending 

 clothed with ovate scales, petiole 2-3 inches long glabrous, 

 frond 8-15 inches long coriaceous glabrous lanceolate pin- 

 natisectcd, segments many pairs contiguous 8 lines to 1 inch 

 long 3-4 lines wide the base broad produced above adnatc, 

 lowest ones remote their lower base more or less free 

 (distinct), their upper base produced and adnate oblong or 

 rotundate submucronate, superior segments from a wider 



