ASPLEMUM, § ATIIYRIUM. 2.3.3 



Metten. Asplen. p. 19G. Athyrium, Pr. Asplenium multi- 

 caudatum, Wall. Cat. n. 229 (often subcoriaceous) . AUan- 

 todia sylvatica, Bl. En. Fil. Jav. p. 173, and in Herb. Nostr. 

 Aspleinunij Moore, hid. Fil. p. 43. Metten. Asplen. j). \\)?>. 

 Asi)leniuni basilare, Moore, I. c. p. 49. Athyrium, Fee. 

 {Moore adds as synonyms to AUaiitodia sylvatica, Bl., Dipla- 

 zium brevisorum, /. Sm., Diplazium bracbysorus, Metten.., 

 Aspleniun^ brevisorum, Metten. Asplen. p. 192, not IVall., 

 and Bracbysorus Woodwardioides, Pr.) Asplenium pbysoso- 

 rum, 8ieb. Fl. Mixta, n. 2G8 {in Herb. Nostr.) . 



Hal). Australia, Port Jackson, liroini and others. Moreton Bay, Dr. F. 

 Mueller. Tasmania, New Zealand, and Norfolk Island, apparently abundant. 

 India: iava., Blume ; Neilglierries, Nepal, Mysore, Sikkini, very frequent, Wallich, 

 Griffith, Hook. fil. and Thomson. — It is familiar to all who liave devoted much time 

 to the study of Ferns, that the larger and more compound species are peculiarly 

 liable to vary. The same species is move or less compound according to age, 

 and the younger and less divided pinnrc and pinnules are usually broader and of 

 a more membranaceous texture than the older ; hence a great difficulty in drawing 

 up tangible specific characters ; and hence authors who have not extensive suites 

 of s])ecimens at command, are led into the error of .making new species when 

 the ditferences only arise from age or some accidental circumstance. The Fern 

 before us seems to me to be in this case. I have willingly followed ^loore in 

 uniting the Asplenium a.villare y;\i\\ A. umbrosum, but I shall need the indulgence 

 of botanists in venturing to introduce numerous synonyms under the jjrescnt 

 species, and in going a step further, and expressing an opinion that even this may 

 not be specifically distinct from A. umbrosmn. Other authors, indeed, have paved 

 the way for such a union. For a long time A. australe was supposed to be 

 peculiar to Australasia, whence, too, its name australe. Dr. Hooker lias remarked 

 in his Fl. Nov.-Zelandia^ that " it is very similar to, if not identical with, species 

 from the Malay and Society Islands, East Indies, and S. America." lam disposed 

 to consider all the East Indian Allan foid group known to me, except A. fimbriatum, 

 identical with A. australe. Blume says of his Allantodia sylvatica, "Maxima 

 affiuis Allantodia; umbrosce, cui tamen differt laciniis pinnularum aequaliter serratis, 

 venulisque bifidis, baud simplicibus ;" characters really of no moment. Again, 

 Brackenridge, who had gathered living specimens from plants both of A. umbrosum 

 and A. australe, says of the latter, " This has very much the appearance of A. 

 umbrosum, but the segments are not so deeply serrated, and the indusium is less 

 membranaceous." 



242. A. (Athyrium) /«'«ns, Kze. ; "frond bipinnato-pinna- 

 tifid ovato-oblong glossy above and deep green pale beneath, 

 pinnae oblong-lanceolate erecto-patent acute distant pinnate 

 decurrent towards the apex attenuated, pinnules pinnatifid 

 lanceolate shortly petiolate remote obtuse at the base towards 

 the apex long-attenuated confluent, segments oblong ob- 

 liquely acute obsoletely serrated involute at the margin, ra- 

 chis and stipes subcompressed yellowish-brown sulcato-stri- 

 ated above convex beneath paleaceous at the base, involucre 

 allantodioid." — Diplazium, Kze. Kl. in Linnaa, xx. p. 361. 

 Metten. Asplen. p. 188. 



VOL. in. 2 II 



