WOOUWAltUIA. 67 



acuminate paleaceous scales at the base, fronds ample 

 pinnate subcoriaceous, pinncc distant often a foot or more 

 long petiolate deeply jnnnatifid broad-lanceolate acuminate, 

 lacinicB ovato-lanceolate acuminate subfalcate spinuloso-ser- 

 rate towards the apex, veins reticulate towards the main 

 costa (of the piinue), a single series of areoles outside of the 

 sori thence free to the margin, sori parallel with and near 

 to the costule short oblong sunk in the cavity of the sorus 

 which has an elevated margin, involucre vaulted coriaceous, 

 rachis here and there producing large scaly germinating 

 gemnire at the])ase of some of the pinnae. — Smith, Act. Taiir. 

 V. ;>. 412. Schk. Fil. p. 104. t. 112 [venation very bad). 

 Sw. Syu. Fil. p. 117- Hook. Gen. Fil. t. 17- Blechnum radi- 

 cans, Linn. Mant. p. 307- Woodwardia Stans, Sw. Syn. Fil. 

 p. 117. Schk. p. 1 04. ^.113. W. auriculata, Bl. En. Fil. Jav. 

 2). 196 ; — Var. Aniei'icana, not bearing gemmiferous buds. W. 

 Chamissoi, Brack. Fil. U. S. Expl. Exp. ;;. 138. W. s])inulosa, 

 Mart, et Guleot. Fil, Mex.p. 64. W. radicans, Liebm. Fil. Mex. 

 p. 87. 



Hab. Madeira, Konig and numerous others. Canary Islands, not unfrequcnt. 

 Spain, Durieu {Herb. Nostr.). Portugal, Dr. E. W. Gray (Sm.). Italy, near 

 Ferrara, Tille ; Ischia, Sorrento, /. Woods. Sicily, JVebb. Northern India, to- 

 wards and in the Himalaya Mountains, elevation of from 4-5000 feet, Wallich 

 (Cat. n. 58), Griffith, Hook, fil, and Thomson, Edfjcworth, Col. Bates, Slrachey 

 and JVinterbottom. Java, Kuhl and Van Hassdt {fide Blume), Thos. Loll ; veins 

 all free between the sori and the margin. Var. Juiericana : Mexico, Sierra Madre, 

 Seemann ; Iluatuco, Liebmann ; Lay and Collie (Pacific coast); Pine forests, 

 Chiapas, Linden. Guatemala, Skinner. California, Chamisso, Sinclair, Lay and 

 Collie, Dr. Coulter, n. 825, Brackenridge. — This is a widely dispersed species, yet 

 in one sense limited in its localities. The accurate Metlenius gives (Fil. Ilort. 

 33ot. Lips. p. 60) " America borealis " as the locality ; but in the ordinary sense 

 of that term, as comi)rising the United States and Canada, we find no record of 

 its existence there. It makes its appearance in California, extends southward to 

 Mexico and Guatemala, and is not known anywhere else in the New ^Yorld.* In 

 the Old World we i)ossess it from the northern African islands above mentioned, 

 from Spain and Portugal, Sicily, and probably from nowhere more abundant than 

 from tlie eastern range of the Himalaya Mountains, from Simla in the west to 

 Bhotan in the east. In Java beautiful specimens were gathered by Mr. Thos. 

 Lobb, and these differ from the more northern [)lant in their darker colour when 

 dry, and in the less reticulated or anastomosing venation, and in nothing else. It 

 is doubtless the ])\ auriculata, Bl. — The species is a fine and very beautiful one, 

 and often bears large scaly bulbs or gemniiu (forming new plants) on the. rachis at 

 the base of tlie pimue, in size and situation quite diftcrcnt from those produced 

 by the following species. 



* Brackenridge indeed considers the Californian plant distinct, having " an 

 erect frond and pale-coloured veins." There is nothing in our numerous specimens 

 to lead to this conclusion ; but I may observe that the Mexican plant is said by 

 Schatfner to be destitute of bulbillaj. 



