78 ASPLENIUM, § TIIAMNOPTERIS. 



at the base and more or less decurrent upon a short or elon- 

 gated stipes, costa semiterete at the back, sori extending from 

 the costa and reaching about halfway towards the margin. 

 —Limi. Sp. PL p. 1537. Sw. Syn. Fil. p. 74. U'iUd. SpA'l. 

 V. ;;. 303. Wall. Cat. n. 198. Huok. Bot. Mag. t. 3101. 

 Mdt. Asplen. p. 85. Thamnopteris Nidus, and orientalis, 

 Pr. Epim. 68. Thamn. Mauritiana, iV. Epim. 68. Neottop- 

 teris Nidus, J. Sm., Fee, Brack. '^ 



Hab. East Indies, N. to Himalaya, and Malay Islands ahiiiidant. Luzon, n. 15, 

 Cuming : one specimen with black lines of sori on a very pale frond. Mauritius, 

 Sieber, n. 57 (Thamn. Mauritiana, Pr.), Ilelfiinf/er and Bojer. Penang and 

 Rangoon, Wallich (ordinary size and form, ahout 3 feet long and 4 inches wide, 

 moderately acuminated, decurrent at the base into a stipes a few inches long). 

 Elizabeth Island, n. 136G, Cuming (fronds abrupt and even cordate at the base, 

 and sessile). Oahu, Sandwich Islands, Seemann. Society Islands, Bidtvill {ahnoit 

 the size and habit of J. mu.sa'folium). S. China, ordinary form, tapering below, 

 and stipitate. Canton, Vachell (Neottopteris rigida. Fee, Gen. Fil. p. 203. 

 Hongkong, JVilford, n. 331 (slightly tai)ering at the base, and nearly sessile). 

 Chusan, Alexander (small). Bonin Isles {hup. Acad. Petersburg), C. Wright. 

 Australia, Illawarra, Brackenridge\ (probably our A. Auslrala.sicum). Barnard 

 Isles, off Cape York, N. xVustralia, /. M'Gillivrag. Norfolk Island, C. J. Sim- 

 monds, Eaq. St. Mary, Madagascar, Forbes. — From Assam and Malacca one spe- 

 cimen dichotomously (2 or 3 times) forked, the segments more or less divergent. 

 — This species is prol)ably an inhabitant of tropical and subtropical regions 

 generally in the Old World, and holding there the same place that its close 

 affinity, in form and appearance, A. (§ Euasplenium) serratum does in the New. I 

 have been more full than may be considered necessary in giving localities to so 

 common a species; but I have done so for the opportunity it affords of noticing 

 some variations. Individually the specimens vary not only in size and outline, 

 more or less obtuse or acuminated, and more or less obtuse or tapering at the 

 base, but in texture and tone of colour, as seen in the herbarium. 



2. A. (Thamnopteris) nmscefolium, Mett. ; fronds very- 

 ample 4-6 feet long chartaceous broad-oblong more or less 

 suddenly acute or obtuse or even retuse gradually decurrent 

 into a narrow stipitate base, costa semiterete at the back, sori 

 extending from the costa about halfway towards the margin 

 or almost close to the margin (in the latter case covering 

 almost the entire back of the frond). — Mel ten. Asp/en. p. 85. 

 Neottopteris mussefolia, /. Sm. in Hook. Journ, of Bot. iii. 

 p. 409 [name only). N. elliptica, and N. stenocarpa, Fee, Gen. 

 Fil. p. 203. Thamnopteris museefolia, Pr. Epim. p. 68. 



Hab. Luzon, Cuming, n. 89. Malacca, Griffith. Singapore, Dr. T. Thomson. 

 — Whether this be a species or a variety of the jjreceding, it is unquestionably tiie 

 most noble of all of the genus Asplenium, in size and breadth of undivided frond. 

 The name (unfortunately without any description) is given by Mr. J. Smith to a 

 Luzon Fern, n. 89, of Mr. Cuming's collection. Of this, two states are in my 

 herbarium: one a. portion only of a frond, measuring 2 feet 7 inches in lengtli 

 and 9 inches in its greatest diameter : the sori are rather distant (one or more 

 intermediate veins being sterile), and extend from the costa almost to the mar- 



