A8PLEN1UM. 97 



Var. 7- difforme ; bi-tripiunate, lobes and pinnules obo- 

 vato-cuneate anil incised or linear, sori on the latter mar- 

 ginal.— A. difforme, Br.Prodr. Fl. Nov. Hall. p. 160. Endl. 

 Fl. No7-f. p. 9. iMetten. Asplen. p. I07. t. 4./ 1. 



Ilab. Southern hemisphere, as far south as Lord Auckland's group and Camp- 

 bell's Islands, especially New Zealand, N. S. Wales, Tasmania, west coast of S. 

 America, Chiloe and Valdivia, and as far north as Peru. Juan Fernandez, Uer- 

 tero. Pitcairn's Island and Oahu, Dennett, Ma/ hews, n. 22, Dr. Diell ; from both 

 l)laces some of the specimens almost exactly corresjjond with tlie previous 

 species, A.marimivi. Norfolk Island ; on fronds from the same caudex exhibit- 

 ing the normal form of A. obtmatum and perfect A. difforme, Hr. — Var. jS. oh- 

 Uqiium. N. Zealand, Forsfrr, JMrtizies; etc. Lor<l Auckland's Islands, generally 

 near the sea, abundant, /. D. Honker. Banks's Peninsula, Dr. Li/all (pinna? 

 more acuminate, large, an inch and more broad). Tristan d'Acunha, Carmichael 

 (pinnne more acuminate, deeply excised at the inferior base, sori short). Pacific 

 Islands; Kerniadce grotip, M'GilUvraij, Milne. Sandwich Islands, Barclai/, n. 44 

 and 46, Scemaiin, n. 2242, Dr. Diell, n. 12 (.-/. Oa/»<e?«*e, Diell, MS.): all these 

 specimens are considered by i\Ir. Moore to be A. paradoxum, Blume. Peru, 

 Poeppig {A. xp/upnoides, Kze.), and Isle of Massa Fuera, Douglas. Chili, Talcua- 

 hano, llarveg. Valdivia, Lechler {A. sphcenoides, Kze. : varying much in size, 

 some specimens quite the normal form of A. ohtusafuni). — Var. j. difforme. 

 N. S. Wales, Brown, Sieber, Syn. Fil. n. 119, Fl. Mixt. n. 267 ; Norfolk Island, etc. 



Many of the specimens of this singularly variable Fern would, if seen by 

 themselves, be naturally considered distinct species : and, indeed, nothing but a 

 most extensive suite of specimens from various localities, exhibiting the several 

 intermediate forms, justify me in thus uniting them. With regard to the n.ost 

 opposite in form and character (simply pinnate as is the normal state of A. ubtu- 

 satum and the A. difforme of Mr. Brown, with its bi-tripinnate fronds, often too 

 becoming dareoid), my specimens exhibit almost a gradual transition from the 

 one to the other. Mr. Backhouse, too, in his account of Norfolk Island (Narra- 

 tive of a Visit to the Australian Colonies), observes, " On the rocks of the south 

 coast grows Asplenium difforme" (he assuredly means obliguian or obtusatum) 

 " grows, a Fern resembling the A. marinum of England. At a short distance 

 from the shore its leaves become more divided, and in the woods in the interior 

 of the island they are separated into such narrow segments that the lines of 

 fructifications are thrown upon their margins : it then becomes Vcenopteris 

 Odontites {Aspl. flaccidum, Forst.)." — My own numerous specimens of these 

 plants do not quite bear out this assertion : but it is far from improbable, for 

 the sports of Nature among Ferns are quite marvellous. 



37. A. (Euasplenium) schroprium, Hombr. et Jacq. ; cau- 

 dex thick short densely scaly, stipites 4 inches to a span 

 high broad compressed furrowed in front, frond 1-H foot 

 high pinnated carnoso-coriaceous, pinnae petiolate patent 

 narrow-lanceolate much and caudato-acuminate, at the base 

 obliquely or unequally cuneate, the lower base subincised 

 the margins deeply serrato-pinnatifid the segments oblong 

 or linear entire or often bi-tridentate at the apex, terminal 

 pinna similar to the lateral ones sometimes more decply- 

 pinnatifid with segments cuneate and laciniated, veins sunk 

 obsolete, sori linear oblong one to each segment at the inner 



VOL. III. o 



