214 ASPLENIUM, § EUASPLENIUM. 



tinct, sori long-linear entirely at the margin, involucres ap- 

 parently of the same texture as the frond. — Hook. Ic. PL t. 

 91 1. Moore, lad. Fil. p. 149. 



Hab. New Caledonia, crevices of rocks in very dry and exposed places, C. 

 Moore. — Mettenius, who seems only to know this Fern from my figure and 

 description, is disposed to unite it with the preceding, Aspl. dimorphum. I allow 

 that my specimen is very imperfect, for the probability is that it has two kinds of 

 pinnae, like the species just mentioned, whether on the same or on ditFerent 

 plants : but the pinnules are here so much elongated and almost rostrate, and 

 the panicle, I might almost call it, is so loose and irregular, that, besides the 

 great length of the ultimate pinnules or segments, the primary divisions, which in 

 A. dimorphum bear a considerable relation to the sterile fronds, suggest the idea 

 of sterile piunaj very different also in this. 



210. A. (Euasplenium) brachyiiteron, Kze. ; caudex short 

 stout erect creeping moderately scaly, stipites tufted 2-5 

 inches long pale brown or lurid scaly below, fronds spreading 

 in our growing specimen 4-5 inches to a span and more 

 long linear-oljlong or lanceolate subcoriaceous dark-green (or 

 brown when dry) bipinnate, pinnai dimidiato-ovate on short 

 petioles, pinnie \ of an inch long mostly on the upper mar- 

 gin (suppressed below) and on both sides at the apex, pin- 

 nules or segments linear subspathulate entire loM-er ones 

 (1-3) emarginate or bifid lowest superior one trifid a little 

 larger than the rest, veins single, sori solitary near the 

 middle of the pinnule or segment oblong marginal or sub- 

 marginal, main rachis compressed margined above sparsely 

 and deciduously scaly, partial rachises winged. — Kze. iti 

 Linmea, xxiii. p. 232 (name only). Hook. Fil. Exot. t. 14. 

 Moore, Ind. Fil. p. 11 7- A. obtusilobum. Hook. Ic. Plant. 

 1. 1000 [more equally pinnate and stoloniferous) . Moore, Ind. 

 Fil. p. 151. 



Hab. Tropical Africa ; Sierra Leone, D. Don, IVhilfield, Barter {2nd Nige)- 

 Ejfped.). Madagascar, Dr. Lyall. Isle of Tanna, New Hebrides, C. Moore. 

 Aneiteum, Naviti Levu and Ovolau, Feejee Islands, Milne (can this be the Aspl. 

 dubiiim of Brackenridge?). — Mr. Moore lays much stress on the suppression of 

 many of the inferior pinnules, so as to render the pinnae subdimidiato-pinnatifid 

 in A. obluHilobum, in distinguishing this as a species from A. Dreijeanum ; but I 

 fear that character is too inconstant. In some, but not all, of tlie Madagiiscar 

 specimens, the fertile pinnaj are dilated on one side along with the involucre, thus 

 giving a liatchet-shaped form to those pinnules, and they are not unfrequcntly 

 falcato-recurved. 



211. A. (Euasplenium) Dregeanum, Kze.; " caudex slen- 

 der creeping paleaceous, stipites short, fronds linear-lanceo- 

 late acuminate membranaceous pinnate, pinna3 alternate di- 

 vergent or patenti-divergent shortly petiolate obliquely sub- 



