nated, pinnae short petiolatc subhorizontal numerous 4-6 

 inches and more long from a broad unequally cuneate l)ase 

 lanceolate much and finely acuminate sharply and unequally 

 serrated and often duplicato-serrate, the superior base rounded, 

 inferior subexcised, veins pellucid coj)ious forked 2-3 times 

 erecto-sul)patent, sori linear close to and generally parallel 

 with the costa rarely oblique eventually prominent and con- 

 fluent, involucre rigid membranaceous. — Langsd. et Fisch. 

 Fil. p. 16. t. 16. inild. Sj). PL V. p. 312. Metten. Asplen. 

 p. 151. A. woodwardioides, Gardn. Lond. Journ. of Bot. A. 

 PcEppigii, Pr. Tent. Pterid. p. 106. ^. 3. /. 21. A. insigne, 

 Liebm. Fil. Mex. p. 94. — Var. /3. Lnrnyanum ; pinnae bright- 

 green (smooth and even when dry) 6-10 inches long sometimes 

 nearly 2 inches M'ide, sori often an inch long oblique with the 

 rachis. 



Ilab. Tropical America ; Brazil, Langsdorff, Qardiier, n. 43 (A. woodwar- 

 dioides, Gardn. n. 174, 175), 5309, 5312, 5938, and 5939, Barclay, Urn. Lohb ; 

 S. Brazil, Sellow. British Guiana, Itichd. Schombiirgk. W. Indies ; Jamaica, 

 Wilson, Purdie ; Cuba, C. JJ'rir/lif, n. 840; Guadeloupe, U Ilerminier. Caraccas, 

 Linden, n. 191, and 553, Birschel. Venezuela, Fendler, n. 332. Ocaila, Schlim, 

 n. 321. Santa Marta, Purdie. Ecuador; Pillzlium, elev. 12,000 feet, Jameson. 

 Peru, Mafheivs, n. 1852. Central America, Barclay. Realejo, Dr. Sinclair. — 

 Var. /3. hnrayanum. Dominica, Dr. hnray (frond 5 feet long, stipes and rachis 

 ebeneous).* Venezuela, Fendler, n. 155. Mexico, Hartweg, Liebmann. — The 

 close and parallel proximity of the sori with the costa is not constant, though 

 very general in this fine species : in our finest specimens with the broadest pinnie 

 the sori are more oblique. Tlie state called by Gardner Aspl. woodwardioides, 

 has the sori very close to the costa, and the pinnae less deeply serrated, and the 

 texture firmer than usual. 



125. A. (Euasplenium) decrescens, Kze. ; "frond coriaceous 

 firm sparingly paleaceous beneath opaque discoloured shortly 

 ovato-oblong acuminate pinnated, pinna3 patent from an entire 

 base truncated above and subauricled beneath oblique or ex- 

 cised trapezio-lanceolate acuminate duplicato-serrulafte striated 

 the lower not smaller, sori contiguous to the costa, rachis and 

 stipes of middle length flexuose paleaceo-hirsute livid-brown, 

 rhizome horizontal stout densely nigro-paleaceous radicose.^' 

 A're. in Linncea, xxiv. p. 261. — Metten. Asplen. p. 142. Moore, 

 Ind. Fil. p. 123. 



* We have living plants of this in our stoves from Dr. Imray, and it seems to 

 sport remarkably. Many of the pinn<c are on ))etioles % of an inch long and of 

 all kinds, hatchet-shaped, falcato-recurved, tlie inferior base excised for half the 

 length of the whole pinna, bifid, or with an auricle so large as to be almost equal 

 to the rest of the pinna, the margins very deeply iuciso-serrate, the sori variously 

 scattered, etc. 



