ASPLENIUM, § EUASPLENIUM. 93 



forked rather distant very patent, sori linear-oblong patent 

 short. — Br. Prodr. Nov. Holl. p. 150. Hook, et Grev. Ic. Fil. 

 i. 220. Hook. Ic. PL t. 914. Mett.AspUn. p. 146. Tarachia, 

 Pr. Epim. Bot. 



Ilab. New Holland. Port Jackson, Brown, Fraser. Dry shady woods, Bris- 

 bane River, All. Cunningham, F. Mueller. — A very distinct and well-marked 

 species and of rare occurrence, being found as yet, as far as has come to our 

 knowledge, only in the above localities in Eastern Australia. 



32. A. (Euaspleuium) variahile, Hook. ; small, caudex 

 long slender branched creeping slightly scaly rooting with 

 long flexuose fil)res, stipites distant \ an inch to 2-3 inches 

 long partially scaly at the base winged above with the de- 

 current base of the frond, fronds 2-5 inches long firm-mem- 

 branaceous and pellucid, young and as far as I have seen 

 sterile ones lanceolate or lyrate variously pinnatifid obtuse or 

 obtusely acuminate, lobes obtuse sometimes sliallow some- 

 times deep the narrow sinuses extending almost to the rachis, 

 in one case the frond is deeply bifid at the apex in another 

 flabelliform, perfect and fertile fronds the largerst rather 

 broad lanceolate finely acuminated serrated more deeply to- 

 wards the apex the base decurrent upon the rachis, veins 

 rather distant forked at the base patent reaching nearly to 

 the margin, sori prominent linear extending from the costa 

 to within a short distance of the margin, involucres very 

 narrow, costa pale almost stramineous beneath. (Tab. 

 CLXXXV.) 



Hab. On trees in gloomy forests, Fernando Po, Barter, in Baikie's Second Niger 

 E.vpedition. — This remarkable Fern was gathered by the lamented Barter on tw'o 

 occasions of visiting the island of Fernando Po, and the same variation was each 

 time found in the fronds as here represented. 



*** Pinnatre.* Fronds jjinnafe, rarelt/ more compound in l/ie normal stale ; 



varying to bipinnate in some forms of A. difForme, Br., and even to tripinnate 



in some other species. 

 (Salicifoliuni-^?-o?<;;. Type Aspl. salicifolium, L.; witJt jnnnce of a large or 



largisli size, generally more than 2 incites long, and of a snftish texture when 



recent, hut often passing, as it ivere, into the Resectum- and Furcatura- and 



Trichomanes-^rwyv, by insensible gradations.) 



33. A. (Euasplenium) macrosorum, Bert., MS. ; caudex 



* I have endeavoured in vain to find tangible characters for the larger or even any 

 groups, into which the genus Aspleiiium {^Euasplenium) can i)e conveniently di- 

 vided. Others have met with the same diihculty. Presl, who was the first to give 

 a list of a really large number of species, has only two divisions : 1, "frons co- 

 riacea ,-" 2,"frons herbacea ;" and nothing can be more unsatisfactory. Fee 



