ASPLENHJM, § EUASPLENIUM. 205 



marginal) l)eing accompanied i))' a linear, narrow, falcate, sterile one, resembling 

 a bractea, as well shown in Kunze's figure, and, though less intelligibly, by 

 Metteuius. 



(DaLrea-gronp. — Ti/pe Aspl. rutncfolium. Sort generally solitanj upon a segments 

 and quite marginal : from this position of the sori, and the frequently firm 

 texture of the involucres, some species approach the genus Davallia. Fronds 

 bipinnate, or from the confiuent bases of the pinncc bi-tripinnatifid. Segments 

 narroxo ; veins solitary, and central in each segment, with few exceptions. 

 Darea, Juss. Cajnopteris, Berg.) 



197. A. (Euasplenium) fiaccidum, Forst. ; caudex stout 

 erect crowned with copious large spbagnoid dark-coloured 

 lanceolato-subulate membranaceous scales, stipites tufted 

 short 3-6 inches long compresso-triquetrous (when recent), 

 fronds very polymorphous from 6 inches to 3 feet long sub- 

 erect or pendulous subcoriaceous generally whitish-green 

 (when dry) sublanccolate acuminate pinnate or bipinnate in 

 what may be considered the normal form, and as in the 

 plants cultivated at Kcav, with the primary pinnae 4-5 inches 

 to a span long pendently patent lanceolate finely acuminate 

 rather distant, below pinnate the lowest superior pinnule the 

 largest lanceolate petiolate pinnatifid 2 inches long then pro- 

 ceeding upwards they become less pinnatifid simply forked 

 and the rest of the pinna is only pinnatifid all the segments 

 erecto-patent slightly incurved linear-oblong a little tapering 

 obtuse about h an inch long all soriferous, when forked each 

 branch bears a sorus opposite to the other, a single vein oc- 

 cupies each segment, sori wholly on the segment and at the 

 very margin, involucres oblong firm (almost the texture of the 

 frond), main rachis stout channeled above margined, secon- 

 dary winged by the decurrent bases of the pinnules and seg- 

 ments ; — from, this form the varieties are almost endless, 

 simply pinnate with the pinnoe 6 inches long linear acumi- 

 nate quite entire at the margin or more or less remote ser- 

 rate and even on the same specimen, generally on the upper 

 portion ; when the pinnae are broad-lanceolate and not deep- 

 ly pinnatifid the sori are arranged entirely on the disc quite 

 below the sinus, or they may extend partially into the mar- 

 gin of the segment. — Forst. Prodr. n. 426. Hook. fil. Fl. N. 

 Zeal. ii. ji. 35. Fl. Tasm. ii. p. 146. Metten. Asplen. p. 111. 

 Moore, Ind. Fil. p. 131. Aspl. Odontites, Broion, Prodr. Ft. 

 Nov. Holl. p. 151. Aspl. heterophyllum. Rich. Fl. N. Zeal. 

 J). 74. Csenopteris flaccida, Tkunh. Nov. Act. Petrop. ix. p. 

 158. t. D.f. 1, 2. Sw. Syn. Fil. pp. 87 and 281. Schk. Fil. 



