ASPLENIUM, § ETASPLEMUM. 101 



feet long ovate long-acutninate pinnate membranaceous dark- 

 green paler beneath, piiiucc 7-J^ remote lateral ones 5-G inches 

 long petiolate oblong-lanceolate suddenly caudate, cauda an 

 inch and more long with a scaly gemmiferous bud near the 

 apex (on the falling away of this proliferous caudex the apex 

 of the pinna then becomes emarginate) obliquely cuneate at 

 the base, superior base the most rounded, the margin ob- 

 scurely sinuato-crenate, terminal pinna more petiolate ex- 

 ceedingly long and much acuminate sometimes much sinu- 

 ated proliferous at the caudate extremity, veins distant, sori 

 distant narrow elongate remote from the rachis and extend- 

 ing almost to the margin, involucres membranaceous very 

 fugacious. — Beavv. FL (TOware et de Benin, ii. p. Q. t.G\. 

 Metten. Asplen. p. 94. 



Hab. Mountains of Isle dii Prince, Bight of Benin, Palisot de Beauvois. Tro- 

 pical Western Africa, south of the Line, Dr. Curror. — This is a very distinct Asple- 

 niutn, in its lateral pinnai much allied to J. (/cmmiferum, but in their perfect 

 state the elongated terminal pinna is suddenly contracted at tlie apex into a 

 linear proliferous cauda, an inch long, In our two specimens tlie terminal pinna 

 is almost thrice as long as the lateral, gradually acuminated almost from the 

 base, but still terminated by the caudate a])ex, proliferous with young fronds and 

 roots. Where our pinn?e are emarginate, it appears to be caused by the falling 

 away of the proliferous apex, which perhaps again bears a gemma as represented 

 by Palisot de Beauvois. It appears to be a rare species, probably not seen by Met- 

 tenius, or he would hardly have said, " Ab antecedente" {J. Prionilis, Kze.), " cui 

 proximum, fortasse non pro specie diversura." 



42. A. (Euasplenium) virens, Pr. ; stijjites a span to a foot 

 long furrowed in front slightly scaly at the very base, fronds 

 a foot long subovate rather thick subcarnoso-membranaceous 

 dull yellowish-green paler beneath impari-pinnated, pinnoe 

 9-11 85-4 inches longpatent petiolate distant ol)long- rather 

 broad-lanceolate acuminate often finely so duplicato- and 

 sharply serrated the base equally cuneate and tapering into 

 the rather long petiole subpellucid, veins very distinct when 

 the pinna is held against the light erecto-patent once or twice 

 forked, sori linear elongated copious sometimes an inch long 

 extending from near the costa almost to the margin. — Fres/, 

 Reliq. Hank. p. 41. t. 6. /. 3. Metten. Asplen. p. 93. 



Hab. Guayaquil, Presl. Gorgona Island, tropical west coast of America, Hindcs. 

 — Var. minor ; sterile, pinn;c smaller, siiorter and less serrated. — This I am dis- 

 posed to consider a good species, very correctly represented by Presl, 1. c. Our 

 specimens are much finer than Ila;nke's. Tlie pinna; are of a thin, soft, yet some- 

 what tleshy-membranaceous consistence, of a dull, lurid yellow-green, yet sub- 

 translucent wlien held between the eye and the light, very uniform in the two 

 halves (not obliquely lanceolate or dimidiate), strongly serrated, with copious long 

 lines of sori. 



